


Machiavellian

by KiraTypes



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 38
Words: 26,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23977423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiraTypes/pseuds/KiraTypes
Summary: Simon Harrison and his older brother Edward were polar opposites. Edward, despite living with a mental disorder that affected the way his brain processed emotions, wanted to make people happy and give himself and everyone around him good lives, but when his father dies of lung cancer, his mental state collapses.His brother wanted nothing more than the country to fall into despair, and sees the election of 2024 as his opportunity. Although he isn't old enough to be president, his brother is. Only problem is Edward doesn't want a seat in the white house. He doesn't even want to run the family business.Their father's death brings Edward to his worst. His mental state is torn to shreds and he's able to be manipulated easily. Simon sees his brother's vulnerability and decides to use it to his advantage, but it ends up bringing him more of a storm than he intended to create.Will the creation of his storm stop him? Or will it only fuel his burning desire to watch the world burn at his fingertips?
Kudos: 2





	1. 1

"For the love of _god,_ can you _get away from me?!"_

A hard slap resonated within the entry hall of the Harrison mansion as the oldest of the two boys, Edward, glared down at his younger brother. The contempt in his icy blue eyes and furrowed eyebrows caused Simon to whimper, staring at the taller boy with his lower lip trembling.

"Do you think I want anything to do with you?!" Edward hissed, grabbing his brother's collar as he spat his venomous words into Simon's ears. "You mean _nothing_ to me!"

"Edward...I...just want to play," Simon whimpered.

Simon, only five years old, hardly knew the love of anyone but his butler. His mother was a distant storm above an ocean, her brown eyes often glazed over as she reminisced of a life lost to a rich man who _always_ got what he wanted.

His father was one of the most powerful men in America—well, the most powerful CEO in America. Born in England, Thomas Harrison began the Harrison International company with intentions to expand across the entire world. That dream eventually did come true, and he moved the main headquarters from Liverpool to Washington, d.c. to continue his legacy in America, where he found a wife against her will and had Edward, his firstborn and the one to carry on the Harrison name.

"Do you think I will _ever_ play with you?" He sneered. "Get away from me—I never want to be near you. For the love of all things holy, I never want to be near you!"

Simon stared up at his older brother, curling in on himself as Edward turned on his heels and pretentiously walked away, his head raised high as he left Simon in the dust.

Simon stood in his place, watching his brother leave before his butler walked up behind him and placed a hand on his head.

"Come on," Christopher murmured. "It's time for your nap."

Simon turned to him, his gaze going from heartbroken to empty as his icy blue eyes settled on his only parental figure. Slowly, he reached up a small hand and grabbed onto Christopher's larger one. With one swift movement, the butler scooped Simon up and placed the boy on his shoulders, where Simon began playing with the long, brown locks of hair usually tied back in a ponytail.

"Will we get to play before my nap?" Simon asked, no excitement nor childish joy in his voice.

As Christopher began walking up the large split staircase of the entry hall, he answered.

"We can play after, for as long as you want."

"Will you tell me about your army career?" He asked again. Christopher let out a soft chuckle, walking down the long hallway to Simon's bedroom.

"Of course, bud. Now c'mon."

He entered the room and gently set Simon down, kneeling down and removing the boy's shoes before following him to the bed. He pulled back the pure white comforter of the king-sized bed and helped Simon onto the bed, sighing as he tucked the boy in.

"An hour, okay?" He hummed. "And then we can play _all_ you want, okay?"

"Okay..." The boy murmured sleepily, his droopy eyes fixated on his butler as he reached for his hand. "Just...until I fall asleep, okay?"

Christopher nodded and gently took Simon's hand, waiting until the boy fell asleep before he let out a deep sigh and ran his free hand through his hair.

"What a cruel fate you've got upon you, kid..."


	2. 2

Teenage years didn't treat Simon any better. Only a week before his 16th birthday, Christopher passed away at only 47 years old. Only two things changed; his baby sister was born when he was 8, and his mother began paying attention to him.

But Simon never changed. His mentality of pure despair never flipped, and his entire being only became a bitter amalgamation of the grief he was forced to undergo at his father's greedy hands.

All he ever craved was the same treatment as his brother, so why...?

Pushed to the side. Looked down upon like he was a sickly dog with no purpose other than to sit there and look pretty.

By the time he turned 16, Simon had attempted suicide by hanging, and nobody except his mother and sister, who was too young to fathom anything, cared at all.

The permanent scars from the rope would forever remind him of a grief greater than life itself, for every time he looked at it in the mirror, he could feel the suffocating burn which had imprinted itself into him. 

He decided to cover it with a bandage. 

Still, a simple bandage could not solve his issues. It could not erase the static filled maze that surrounded his brain. It could not erase the seething anger he felt whenever he saw Edward or his father. It could not erase the disarray. 

Even as he faked a charming attitude in school, no amount of popularity would ever fulfill him. Desperate for his father's approval. Desperate for the life he had lost to be restored. 

For Simon, however, it was far too late and he was far too gone. Nothing could truly be done to save him. 

That fact is where the chaos begins. Where the world was plunged into madness. 

Right in the despair ridden clutches of a boy far too gone to save. 


	3. 3

The Harrison family car drove up Military Road, nearing the large private school with their youngest child in the backseat. With her elbow propped up on the car's window sill, Olive Harrison sent bored glances all around until the car arrived on campus. Stopping at the main entrance, the 14 year old stepped out of the car.

"Can you walk home?" Her father asked as she ironed out her uniform with her hands. Olive sent him a glare before flinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"Fuck off, geezer."

From the moment she could form thoughts, Olive was never fond of her father. Always trying to erase any sign she was a Harrison, she tried changing her last name to her mother's maiden name by 10. She also began using brown contacts to mask the blue away, trying her hardest to be normal. To be as far from a Harrison as she possibly could.

"Excuse me?" Thomas scoffed. "Prepare yourself for when you get home."

She wouldn't go home that night. That wasn't the first time the defiant young girl had spoken against her father to his face, and it wouldn't be the first time she checked into a hotel to avoid seeing him. By now, she was a regular at a hotel near the school.

Walking into the building, she untucked then tucked her white polo shirt back in, reaching down and fixing the uncomfortably high socks she was forced to wear as part of the uniform. As far as Olive was concerned, dress code was dumb and she could do fine without it.

The entire school was dumb to her. She didn't want to be seen as a rich man's daughter. She didn't want to be known as a Harrison—all she wanted was to be normal.

She would never be normal. She'd never have normal friends, normal assets, or a normal life, really. The most normal thing Olive could obtain was...a crush.

Eyes sparkling, Olive entered her first period class to see the one boy she'd ever wanted this badly. His name was Adam Bianchi, a freshman like her; though she had wanted him since seventh grade.

With his nicely done brown hair, brown eyes that held life like no other, and cute glasses that framed his face, Adam was more than Olive could ever hope for. He was kind and intelligent, attending her school on an academic scholarship. He was funny and sociable, and the most perfect boy in Olive's eyes.

"Morning!" He chirped out a greeting to his long time best friend, eyes scrunching from his bright smile.

Once again, she felt the world fade around them. With Adam, nothing else mattered.

She'd be happy in the end with him by her side.


	4. 4

December was always a very cold month, especially in New Jersey.

Standing out at the bus stop at 6:30 am, Monika Bianchi held her cold hands up to her mouth and breathed some hot air onto them, trembling from the cold. Reaching up, she adjusted her fluffy winter hat over her brown hair as she shifted in her sneakers.

Maybe wearing ripped jeans and only a sweatshirt wasn't the best idea.

As the bus rolled around the corner, she stepped on and left the cold, snowy morning behind her as she headed for another day at Morris Knolls, at this point, a freshman. Looking back at the house, she saw her older brother Adam, of 19, standing on the porch with a cup of coffee and a bathrobe on waving her off for another day at school.

It had been a few years since Adam graduated from middle school and moved away from Washington, d.c. to be with his family in New Jersey when his sister was 10 years old. Leaving his entire life back there behind to raise her up until this point, he prided himself on doing a relatively good job, all things considered.

That said, he could never truly fix his little sister. She was plagued with static for as long as she could form coherent thoughts, but this was by no fault of Monika.

Of course, there was _one_ remedy to her despair.

Stepping off the school bus, Monika looked up at her school building with a blank gaze before walking into the building. Almost immediately, arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug from an energetic and sweet girl that Monika was blessed to call her best friend.

"Yo, Monika!"

Flashing a wide grin, the girl harshly squished Monika's cheeks while leaning forward.

"How was your weekend?"

Naturally, she couldn't exactly answer due to what her friend was doing to her cheeks. Lightly swatting the hands away, Monika looked at her with a ghost of a smile.

"It was fine," She stated, voice soft and almost quiet. "How was yours?"

"Shitty," The girl pouted. "My parents were all like 'Aaliyah, clean this. Cook that. Learn how to drive. Babysit your sister!' It was so _busy!"_

Aaliyah Rosemarie, a dark-skinned girl whose family hailed from Algeria, always walked around carrying an aura of cheer with her. Everything about her was optimistic. Her hair, always tied into a curly black ponytail, was always bouncy and full of life. Her eyes, a wonderful cocoa color, held the stars in their depths. No matter what happened, Monika had never seen her drop her cheer.

Maybe that was what originally made her lower her walls. A happy girl who didn't give up on Monika no matter how negative and hopeless she had seemed when they first met.

Snapping Monika from her daydream, Aaliyah began dragging the girl down the hallway by hand, humming a song to herself almost childishly as Monika followed and listened. She couldn't identify the song.

She could never identify the song.

"Okay okay o _-kaaaaay!"_ Aaliyah cheered, stopping in front of a classroom. "I will see you in fourth period, hm?"

"Mhm," Monika nodded, crossing her arms. "I'll see you."

Ruffling her friend's hair, Aaliyah rushed off to her first class. Monika watched her go before sighing and turning around, opening the door and entering her classroom ever so gently and quietly. Soft talking filled her ears as she sat down in her seat, pulling out her books and plopping her head down.

No matter the cheer Aaliyah delivered, Monika would never be able to escape her static.

That was a fact she had yet to accept.


	5. 5

Edward was never a very static person despite his mental illness. He was always changing, but the one persona that never left once he donned it was the kind one. 

Gazing back on his past never turned up with fond results. He was cruel towards his little brother and often ignored his little sister. The only person he regularly spoke to with respect in his childhood was his father, but that was due to the fact that he truly had no choice. 

As he grew older, he grew kinder. The staff of his home was greeted with smiles rather than slaps, and he began playing a bigger role in Olive's life as he watched her grow older. 

Never Simon, though. He figured Simon was too old to make impressions on anymore and that forgiveness just came with age. Edward wrongfully assumed that Simon would simply forgive and forget their past. 

First impressions last forever, though. That fact is one Edward never took into consideration. 

-

No one lives forever. As sad as it is, immortality is nothing achievable by humanity. 

At the age of 67, Thomas Harrison lost his battle to lung cancer. At the age of 55, Caroline Harrison became a widow. At the age of 33, Edward Harrison experienced what it was to feel true grief for the first time. At the age of 25, Simon Harrison lost nothing, and at the age of 17, Olive Harrison was on top of the world. 

The gloom hanging over the Harrison estate painted the house grey. The staff, though Thomas treated them with less respect than laws allow, felt gloomy and depressed after the passing. Caroline, despite everything Thomas put her through, wept for hours on end in their large bedroom on the second floor. Maybe she was grieving her deceased lover, or maybe she was grieving the decades she lost at the hands of that monster. 

Olive left the house with her keys in hand, getting ready to head to Applebees for her Saturday hangouts with her friends. No tears escaped her dazzling blue eyes during the entire ordeal; after all, the only words her father ever spoke to her were ones putting her down. As far as she was concerned, this was a win. 

No grief was felt by Simon, either, who sat in his bedroom on the first floor playing an online game in his plaid pajama pants, white bunny slippers, and One Direction faded t-shirt he stole from Olive's closet when she bought a size two sizes two big. 

Somehow, the shirt fit his broad frame. 

Edward, however, felt all of the despair hit him like a school bus. He was, for the first time, alone on this path. His mother was too upset for him to push his sadness onto, and god _forbid_ he ever do such a thing to the hardworking staff. 

But Simon...was always an option, right? Yes, brothers are forever, Edward thought. He'll comfort. 

Edward took a step down the stairs, then finally descended to the final step as tears began falling down his cheeks already. He was not sobbing yet, just silently crying with his blue, innocent eyes that shimmered under the chandelier light and thin veil of tears. 

The eldest approached the large white double doors of Simon's bedroom, and he didn't bother with knocking. After all, Simon couldn't be doing anything bad; which he wasn't. When Edward entered, Simon was in the middle of an online argument with a toddler. 

"Simon?" Edward croaked, voice raspy. 

"What," Simon snapped, not turning towards him for even just a second of time. 

"Can we talk?"


	6. 6

"Talk about what?" Simon scowled, finally turning his full attention to his elder brother. "I want nothing to do with you." 

Edward froze slightly in his tracks from Simon's icy tone before regaining composure and moving in, sitting down on Simon's large bed and sniffling. Simon tensed up a bit, the feeling of Edward's presence being so close to him causing his body to recoil with physical fear. 

Hits, yells, insults...oh, the past is such a burden! 

"Dad is dead..." Edward muttered. "Yeah...dead...that's a hard thing to take in, y'know?" 

"It really isn't that hard to process." 

Simon stood up and went over to the bed almost on autopilot, sitting down next to his older brother who almost immediately placed his head on Simon's shoulder. For a moment, they sat in total silence before it began to fill with the sounds of Edward's pitiful sobs and sniffles. 

"I just miss him, Si..." He mumbled, reaching a hand up and wiping his tears. "I really do...he was my mentor..." 

Simon's face remained stoic and he didn't make a move to comfort the crying boy on his shoulder. After all, why should he? He gave him a shoulder to cry on and that was good enough. It was all he felt Edward deserved. 

"Wasn't mine." 

Edward shot up and grabbed Simon's shoulders, desperation clear in his eyes despite the black locks of hair that fell over them from lack of maintenance. 

The two could almost be twins, if not for their opposing hair colors and 8 year age gap. 

"How can you be so calm?!" Edward cried, shaking Simon slightly back and forth before he relaxed and let his face plop onto his younger brother's lap. "I just...how, Si?" 

Simon blinked softly. Everything happening was a lot at once, and he wasn't the least bit sure how to handle it. "How do I remain so calm?" 

"Yes, that's my burning question and I know you have the burning answer!" 

"Edward," Simon hummed, shaking the older boy off of his lap. "Are you familiar with the static?"

"...The static?" Edward mumbled, thinking. "Yeah, it's what the doctors used to characterize our mental state. Is that what you mean?"

Simon nodded blankly, his face void of expression and care for anything in the world. "I simply embraced the static. I let it become who I am."

"...What?" 

His face contorted to one of a concerned parent, while Simon's face fell into a soft smile. 

"Not to mention, I was never close to that old man. The only ones I respect in this house are mom, Olive, and the servants. How does it feel being the odd one out, Ed?"

Edward shuddered, suddenly feeling a wave of cold overcome him. "Simon, what do you mean by letting it be who you are?" 

Simon's smile only widened. He turned to Edward with a gaze of warmth before humming. 

"By simply letting the static consume my mind, I don't care for trivial things like what's plagued you and mom. I'm euphoric, Edward!" Simon laughed, spreading his arms out as he stood up. "I feel absolutely amazing!" 

Edward's eyes seemed to dazzle with curiosity. Someone could be happy in this trying time? He needed to know that secret, almost immediately! 

"Well, how do I do that, then?" 

Those words caused an instant freeze in the room before the younger of the two boys turned back to Edward fully and held out a hand. 

"Let me show you, my dear brother." 


	7. 7

By 5 pm in the afternoon that day, Simon and Edward were dressed and ready to leave. It had taken so long because Simon refused to leave his room; he wanted to play more games, and tending to Edward's desires to be happy was simply below his paygrade. While Simon wore black dress pants and a tucked-in white dress shirt, Edward dressed more comfortably and modern; black jeans, a blue t-shirt, and a grey cardigan. When the two brothers were ready, they were off.

Simon sat in the driver's seat, directing the electric car on where to go while Edward stared out the window. It was a rainy and foggy evening in the city, and as the car sped past the lights of small businesses and people walking along, rain hammered against the windshield.

"Simon, where are we going?"

"Maybe shut up and you'll see," Simon deadpanned, tone empty. "Shut. Up. Don't talk, Edward."

Edward frowned, looking at Simon with a hurt expression as he rubbed his arm. "Jeez, okay. Sorry..."

"If you're sorry, then stop. Talking."

Edward went silent rather quickly, and Simon continued to drive. There was no radio playing in the car; the only sound was the gentle pitter-patter of rain droplets hitting the car.

Soon enough, Simon slowed his speed and entered a back road before pulling into an empty and decrepit parking lot. Potholes and chipped paint littered the area, yet Simon paid no mind and parked near the front before shutting off the car and getting out. Edward did the same and rushed underneath the overhang of the building, where two automatic glass doors opened in front of him. Simon walked in behind him.

Behind the glass doors was a lobby, clearly renovated to look more modern as opposed to the decaying and old-styled exterior of the old warehouse. At the receptionist's desk was a young woman, typing away on a new desktop computer with her black hair tied back into a braid and hanging behind her back.

"Good evening, Hannah," Simon greeted, walking over to the desk. Hannah looked up instantly, her brown eyes filling with desire and an extreme amount of admiration. 

"Mr. Harrison!" She cried, face flushing as a loving smile fell on her face. "It's been so awful without you...oh, so terrible! I hate working when you aren't here. Where have you been?"

"At home," He sighed, fixing his hair. "I've been...busy, you know. I know you understand, right?"

"You said I could call you anytime, and you never answered any of my calls!" Hannah whined. "Mr. Harrison, I can hardly live without you! But you know that just your voice is enough~!"

Edward could see a grimace cross Simon's face, but he didn't comment on the situation at hand. After a brief conversation between the receptionist and her boss, Simon reached behind the desk and grabbed a keycard.

"Come on, Edward," Simon beckoned as he began walking down a lit-up hallway that stopped at a door labeled 'No Visitors Beyond This Point'. When they arrived at the two large metal doors, Simon swiped the keycard and waited at the doors opened slowly.

The room behind the doors was dark and sent chills down Edward's spine. Simon continued into the room and stopped for Edward to catch up, and as the doors closed behind them, the light faded from the room and left the two brothers in complete darkness.

"Do you know where we are?" Simon asked quietly, just above a whisper but still able to be heard by Edward. "We are in a room that you can't leave without my keycard. We are in a room that will display my secrets. We are in a room that will fill you with the same emotions that I have felt all my life."

Edward blinked, eyes not adjusting to the darkness just yet. He turned to where he presumed Simon's voice was and reached out, grabbing onto his arm.

"Simon," Edward deadpanned. "If this is a sex trafficking ring, I'm calling the police."

Simon scowled and smacked away Edward's hand. "That is not what this is, idiot!"

With a slight chuckle, he rubbed his hand where Simon smacked him. "Alright, alright! I trust you, Si. Just show me what it is, I'm really curious."

A brief moment of silence overwhelmed the atmosphere before Simon turned his back to Edward. "Are you sure?"

"I'm entirely sure."

Simon began taking some steps away, walking forward as Edward remained in place to avoid tripping over anything. Simon reached into his pocket and grabbed a pager, clicking it on and speaking into it.

"Hannah, turn on the lights in the cell unit, please."

"Copy, Mr. Harrison."

Her tone was completely empty, contradicting how she had been when Edward first saw her. Within a moment of hearing her dead voice, the lights turned on in the room and lit up the entirety of the large warehouse.

It resembled an old prison, with rusted metal bars only an inch apart in five-foot-wide cells that were split apart by cinderblock walls that remained unpainted. In each cell that lined the warehouse to the very back was an emaciated child or teenager, sitting in their cells with nothing but a dog bed to sit on aside from the cold concrete floor.

Edward's eyes went wide with horror as he felt vomit rise up in his throat. Both of his hands went to cover his mouth before anything could come out, however.

"Simon, what...what the fuck?!" Edward cried, clutching his chest. "What the hell is this?! Is this a holographic image or something?!"

Simon turned back to Edward and smiled wide, spreading his arms out wide. "This is my euphoria, Edward! This is the personification of everything I've felt up until this point!"

"What emotions could possibly prompt you to do this?!"

An even wider smile fell onto Simon's face, and he walked closer until he and Edward were only a foot apart.

And when he spoke, his tone came out sharp as a needle and cold as ice, and it sent waves of guilt and grief through Edward's body until it began to cloud his mind.

"Despair, Edward. Don't you know?"


	8. 8

The air was tense in the large warehouse as Edward stared at Simon with a horrified gaze. His eyes remained locked with Simon's before breaking away and darting around the room. The children remained in the same place, staring with the same dead eyes, and still filled Edward with the same grief as before.

"Simon..." Edward gasped, backing away from his brother as Simon continued to grin. "Simon...why...? What the fuck is this?! Why?!"

At Edward's crying questions, Simon's face fell into a scowl. "Why? Why would I do this? Is that what you're asking me, Edward?"

"Well, I _did_ just ask you why you would do this, didn't I?!"

With a sigh, Simon began slowly pacing the floor and circling Edward with his arms crossed. Edward watched his meticulous movements, wary and on edge as Simon began to speak.

"Well, let's see. I bought the warehouse and renovated it. One side is an office building and the other side is this. I adopted these children and put them in the cages. It simply brings me joy to watch others crumble," He hummed, stopping right behind Edward and whispering into his ear, sending a shiver down Edward's spine. "Don't you feel the same, brother?"

Edward whirled around and grabbed Simon by the collar, flames of rage filling his blue irises as his eyebrows furrowed with intense anger.

"If you don't let these kids go, I will call the fucking police on you!" He threatened, raising his voice so it echoed in the large room. "I swear to god, Simon! I will send you to prison if you don't stop this operation right now!"

A moment of silence went by as Simon stared at Edward before grinning widely again and shoving him away. He took a few steps forward, twirling around and staring at Edward with manic-filled eyes.

"I want so badly for you to feel this feeling, Edward..." He whispered, hugging himself. "It's euphoria; it's the best feeling in the world! This despair! This...this heart-racing madness! It's just the best thing in the world!"

"I don't want to feel your fucking despair!" Edward hissed. "And you won't make me fall into it, either!"

"Wanna bet?"

Simon went silent, a blank look falling onto his face as he approached a cell and opened it. The child in there, a 12-year-old girl, whimpered and stumbled to the back of the cell as Simon grabbed her thinned out wrist and dragged her out, throwing her onto the floor before Edward. Edward stumbled back a bit but stared down at the child, making no moves to help her up.

Simon walked behind Edward and hummed, rummaging around in his pockets before pulling out two twin pistols and cocking them both, handing one to Edward and holding one to Edward's head.

"Shoot the child," Simon demanded. "Shoot her, or I shoot you both. It's either you or her."

Edward's eyes widened, staring at the gun in his hand with horror before straining his eyes to see Simon. "You fucking psycho! I'm not shooting a child!"

Simon dug the muzzle of the gun into Edward's temple, scowling before holding his pistol with one hand and repositioning Edward's hands to aim at the child with the other. "Pull the trigger, you damned coward."

"I don't want to kill the child-!"

"Kill the fucking child!"

With a startled yelp, Edward's finger tightened on the trigger and sent a bullet racing through the young girl's head. She collapsed to the ground immediately, blood pooling out of the wound and onto the concrete floors.

Edward watched with a horrified cry, dropping the gun and stumbling back before falling with a look of pure horror. He held up his hands, looking at them as tears began to race down his cheeks and fall to the ground.

"I killed her..." He whimpered. "Simon...you...made me kill her...!"

"Good job," Simon hummed. "Your aim was spot on."

"That does not qualify for a good job! I murdered a child!"

"I know," Simon deadpanned, crossing his arms. "That's the best part. Can't you feel despair racing through your blood? Doesn't it feel so good?"

Lost in thought, Edward began mumbling to himself something that Simon could not hear before scowling and standing up, getting eye level with Simon. "I-I could've stopped you and saved that girl!"

Simon blinked, astonishment filling his eyes before it was quickly replaced with madness that occupied his face in the form of a smile. "You can still stop me."

"Huh...?"

"Go ahead, Edward! Call the cops!" Simon laughed as he walked around the room with his arms spread. "But no amount of jail time will bring her back! And nothing will undo the trauma these children have faced in here! It's fruitless, but please! Go ahead and stop me!"

Edward wiped his tears and sniffled, pushing his grief aside and standing tall with his fists clenched. "I can and will save these kids, Simon! And I'll put you in prison for this, too!"

"Then do it," He hummed. "Just remember; there's nothing you can do that would make a difference."

Freezing up, Edward's eyes remained widened as he took in Simon's words and took them to heart. Then, his eyes relaxed and he sighed. Edward looked down at the body with sorrow. "Nothing I can do, huh...?"

"Well, you can succumb."

He looked up at his brother. "Succumb?"

"To the static."

There was that word again; static. He, too, had his own. Static in his mind that separated him from everyone else, that rendered him unable to process emotions the same way as everyone else. The static amplified his sadness and made him vulnerable.

Simon was friends with his. Edward was mortal enemies with his.

He had always pushed it away, trying to run as fast as he could to be normal. He held onto the hope that he could do something to fix himself, but as the words Simon spoke echoed in his mind, that hope diminished. The despair he felt blocked his path and rendered him unable to run from the static. He had to let it consume him, but he didn't want that.

"Simon," He fell to his knees. "If you stop this and let these kids go, I-I won't snitch. I'll let you get off scot-free if you just give up on this ridiculous idea!"

"I don't want to," Simon put his gun away and took a step forward, kicking the girl's body to the side. "I'd rather go to jail than give up this feeling."

Edward narrowed his eyes, staring up at Simon with confusion and anger. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Just give it up," He frowned. "Give up on this delusion you have. I'm not backing down now." 

"But why?!" Edward cried. "I can't just let you succumb to madness like this! This is hell, not euphoria!"

"It's only hell to you because you refuse to let the static in," Simon growled. "Just - "

"Enough with that word!" Edward snapped. "Static, static, static! Shut the hell up about that for once! Our mental illness is nothing to be proud of!"

Simon blanked, no words coming out of his mouth. His eyes held nothing once again. It was almost as if he woke up for a moment and regained his former self, but then, they lit up again, showing an emotion Edward had never once seen before.

Simon stepped forward and kneeled to get eye-to-eye with his brother. "Maybe you're just deficient. I don't understand how I can bring so many perfectly normal children into a hopeless existence and somehow you..." He lifted his hand and touched Edward's cheek. "You hold onto that hope relentlessly. If you just let go of your heroic delusions..." He stood up, leaving Edward dumbstruck and confused. "You, too, can experience my euphoria."

Simon's voice went dark. Swiftly, he lifted his foot and kicked Edward across the face. Edward gasped and immediately fell onto his side, grabbing his face and holding it to attempt to lessen the pain inflicted upon him.

"Simon...!"

"Give it up!" Simon yelled. "I'm not giving this feeling up! You're never going to 'save' me from this static!"

With Simon's words, the final string keeping Edward attached to his hope diminished. His eyes widened before falling into an empty expression as Simon's words echoed on repeat in his mind once more.

The hopelessness was unbearable. Edward opted to allow himself to feel nothing at all.

"...Oh..." He mumbled, sitting up. "Simon...you were right."

"About what?" Simon scowled.

"This feeling..." He whispered. "It's..."

Simon waited in silence, eyebrows raised as he crossed his arms and glared down at Edward. Edward looked up at him and smiled a sad yet empty smile.

"It's the most wonderful feeling in the world."


	9. 9

"Are we all set on the hangout plans?"

A group of five sat at a table during lunch, reaching over each other to grab food, money, water bottles, or phones. Monika, now a sophomore, reached over the table and grabbed a can of Pepsi from Evan, who whined and swatted at her hand until she snickered and gave it back.

"Yeah. Tonight at 5 pm, right? My mom said I could go!" Aaliyah beamed. "She's willing to drive me. Monika, you need a ride?"

Monika shook her head. "Nah. I live a mile away from town, I can just walk."

Amira turned to Katie, smiling warmly as she gently patted the girl's hand. "Come back home with me. My parents will drive us there."

Katie nodded, plopping her head against Amira's arm and sighing softly. Aaliyah giggled and poked Evan's cheek.

"It's a lot easier to make plans since you switched to our lunch period," She stated, beginning to squeeze his cheeks with joy. "How's it feel being the only junior in a sophomore lunch period?"

"Feels great," The boy scoffed, looking away. "Monika, control your dog."

"Not a chance," Monika yawned.

Evan Li, a junior in a sophomore lunch period, was only friends with the group of girls due to Aaliyah. The two shared an English class, as Evan was held back in the subject. Since his family hailed straight from China and predominantly spoke Chinese in the house, he wasn't quite used to English and therefore failed his second year of it, leading him to befriend the chipper and sociable Aaliyah Rosemarie.

Amira and Katie were two different stories. Amira was in Monika's first-period class, which lead the two to become friends during a group project. Katie was in Aaliyah's gym class, which also introduced them and thus caused a 5 person group to form.

The five were closer than the word could describe. Constant sleepovers and always talking to each other, there was never a day where the group didn't talk. Whether in school or through text, secrets were shared, gossip was spread, and appreciation was openly displayed. Their love for each other was immense, and they were not afraid to display that. 

Well, everyone but Monika was not afraid to display that. She wasn't quite used to being around people so often and therefore was not as open with her affection to anyone but Aaliyah. As much as she cared for Evan and the others, Aaliyah was the one who changed her life for the better and Monika wasn't afraid to hug her in public like she was to Katie and Amira. 

The hug is simply delivered with a blank face. 

"Amira," Monika spoke blankly. "You got a dollar?" 

"I do! Here!" Amira said with a smile, fishing through her pocket to give a dollar to her friend. 

Monika pocketed the money and flashed Amira a thumbs up, standing and heading to the vending machines. She tended to say "thank you" to her friends through the thumbs-up gesture, and they all simply learned to appreciate it like her real worlds. 

"Give me this," Katie huffed as she reached over the table and grabbed Aaliyah's phone, inputting the passcode quickly and going onto a game almost immediately. 

"You could've just asked," Evan murmured. Katie shot her head up, a sly grin forming on her face. 

"Are you simping for Aaliyah?" 

Evan almost instantly went a deep shade of red, eyes widening before he looked away and hid his face in his sleeve. "Amira, control her -" 

"I don't think I want to," Amira giggled. "This is funny, Evan." 

As Evan began to whine, Monika returned. He quickly grabbed her arm before she could sit down and pointed to Katie with a pout. 

"She's bullying me!" 

Monika gave a long, hard stare to Evan before shifting her gaze to Katie and snickering. "Good." 

_"Hey!"_


	10. 10

"Hey, have you heard?" 

Chatter filled the quaint, coffee-scent filled bakery as a young man stood in line and listened in on the conversation behind him. 

"Heard what? There's a lot to take in these days." 

"You know Harrison International? That company that's, like, almost everywhere? It's super hard to miss them." 

"Yeah, I know 'em," The other woman said. "My bag is from them. They're, like, a global powerhouse! Did you know they beat Amazon in total sales for 2021?" 

"Did they? That's crazy," Her friend responded. "But did you hear that the CEO of the company is resigning his spot in order to run for president?" 

"The CEO? Who's the CEO?" 

"Edward Harrison, he took over just recently after the president of the company died. Apparently, he's giving the company to his mother instead." 

Adam Bianchi got to the front of the line and fished his wallet from his pocket. When the barista asked what he wanted, he responded with a smile and asked for a french vanilla latte before paying for his drink and leaving the bakery. The conversation he overheard replayed in his mind as he started up his car and began driving down the busy road. 

"Harrison's running for president, huh?" He mumbled to himself. "Maybe I should give Ollie a call. It's been a while..." 

His hand slowly reached for his phone before stopping, his heart racing madly with an unprecedented wave of anxiety before he moved his hand back onto the steering wheel. 

"I guess I won't be doing that, after all." 

After moving away from Washington, d.c. when he graduated from middle school, Adam and his childhood friend Olive drifted apart and never spoke again. Not even a text was sent to the other side, as every time Adam went to send one, he simply couldn't muster up the courage to. Monika often taunted him for being a wimp about it, but he didn't think it was that. 

Maybe it simply wasn't time to talk to her yet. Maybe he just needed to focus on his life at the moment, and not some girl he left in Maryland years ago. That's what his mom always said, and she was usually right on things regarding Adam. 

Still, the conversation got him thinking. Olive had always only desired normalcy, and now her older brother was running for president of the United States. Completely out of nowhere, too! Adam just recently heard that Thomas had died, though he seriously doubted Olive cared about that in the least. 

But she must have some care for the fact that her brother could potentially be in the Oval Office within a few months, right? The Olive he knew would protest and throw a fit; as much as she liked to claim she was normal, she sure did throw fits a lot. Maybe she had changed in recent years. Oh, Adam couldn't stop wondering! He could almost feel Monika hitting him on the head and telling him to stop daydreaming. 

There was also when she hit him on the head after a haircut, claiming she "liked the cut, g." That time, it hurt, and that time, Monika got whacked right back. 

Adam had a nice chuckle whenever he remembered that. 


	11. 11

"Man, I was up all night watching the election!" 

Adam leaned back in his chair, looking past his thin cubicle wall to face his office neighbor, who he greeted with a light chuckle. 

"You gotta stop pulling all-nighters, John," He teased, wagging his finger as his co-worker turned around to face him. "Lack of sleep leads to an early death, you know~!" 

"Then let him die," Another co-worker droned. 

"Jaaaaakob!" John whined, rolling his chair out of his cubicle. 

"I'm stating my truth, John." 

Adam watched the two playfully bicker before turning to his other side, sliding into the cubicle and poking the cheek of the sleeping co-worker, who swatted at his hand and hissed. 

"Hey!" She cried, being startled awake. "What was that for?!" 

"You were falling asleep, Isabelle," He smiled. "Wake up, you know you'll get in trouble if Alex catches you on the job." 

"I got it, just go away!" Isabelle grumbled, shooing him away with her hand. Adam laughed and slid back over into his cubicle, leaning back to see John, who had stopped arguing with Jakob and was back at his desk and scrolling on Reddit. 

"Hey, who won the election?" 

"Who won?" John perked up, turning to face Adam. "You don't know?" 

"Nah, I gotta care for my mom and sister, so I hardly use social media or watch TV." 

John sighed softly and rolled his chair back, now face to face with Adam. 

"Edward Harrison won," He murmured in a low voice. "Keep quiet about it, Alex was hugely against him and I don't feel like hearing him go into a political rant." 

"Got it," He nodded, rolling back into his cubicle. 

He worked in silence, only occasionally checking his phone when his mother texted him before going right back to work until lunchtime. 

"Joey," Adam called as he looked through the break room's fridge. "Did you take my soda?" 

"Yeah," Joey hummed back from his spot at the table. "What about it?" 

Adam sighed, standing up fully and turning to him. "Give me three dollars." 

"Why?" 

"I bought that with my own money!" 

"And I stole it with my own hands," Joey hummed again, taking a nice, long sip. 

"You're a bit too mean to him," Another co-worker said as he walked in, patting Adam on the back and handing him three dollars. "Here. Joey, you should be a bit nicer." 

"Thanks, Enzo," Adam sighed in relief, pocketing the money. 

"Nah, I don't really feel like it." 

"He's just an intern!" Julianna cried from the break room couch. "Jeez, be nicer to him!" 

"You're only so nice to him because he brings you soda," Michael chuckled. "If you wanted me to, I would get you some as well." 

"Don't be a fucking simp," Zac scoffed, immersed in a mobile game with his feet on the table. "Dude, come on. We all know Adam's a simp. Don't become one on your own, Michael." 

"Yeah, no simping!" Julianna cried through a giggle. 

Adam sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before looking up at Zac. 

"What does that word mean?" He asked seriously. "Simp. My sister says it a lot, but I don't get it..." 

"Are you a fucking dumbass?" Zac laughed. "Moron!" 

"Hey, that's not it!" 


	12. 12

"Hey, Edward." 

"Hm?" 

"How does it feel, knowing you're gonna be the president of the United States?" 

"How do you want me to feel about it, Simon?" 

A grin spread across Simon's face, illuminated by the moonlight pouring into the room as Simon sat across from Edward, sipping a cup of tea with a satisfied sigh.

"Feel rejoiced, dear brother of mine!" He smiled, setting his teacup down. "You're in control of the country, starting in January. You know, now that your seat in the Oval Office is confirmed, let's talk about what you'll be doing once in power." 

"Yes. Of course." 

Edward was no longer in control of his own mind. Forced back into a cage, he was only able to sit back and watch as Simon controlled the ship. No matter how sharp he made his scissors, no amount of cutting would ever get rid of the strings his brother had on his mind. 

He never wanted this. He never wanted to be president, yet he campaigned successfully and won without even trying. It was all for Simon; all for whatever sick plan he had conjured. 

Edward had only wanted to help his brother. He had only wanted to make amends for his past, and yet...now he's nothing more than a mindless puppet, taken captive by despair's ambassador and played like a broken, out of tune violin. 

"If we want the nation to fall into despair...hm..." Simon thought, tapping his chin. "First of all, there's no better place to start than the youth, don't you agree?" 

"Of course," Edward replied, once full of life blue eyes now empty and bleak. 

Simon looked up at his older brother, sighing softly before standing up and walking behind him. He placed his hands on Edward's shoulders and leaned down. 

"Do you remember the feeling of shooting that girl back at my warehouse?" 

Edward perked up, sitting up straight and nodding. "Of course. It was a wonderful feeling, Simon." 

A lie, but Edward had no idea that it was. 

"Do you want to feel that again?" Simon asked with a smile. 

"Yes..." 

His smile widened, and he stood up straight. "Perfect. Now, chin up. Let's get into the details of what you're going to do before you're sworn in. This will help make your inauguration smoother, and what comes after work perfectly." 

Edward nodded, looking at Simon with the fiery determination that he knew his brother wanted to see. "Right. Let's do it." 

Up until midnight, the brothers talked and went over plans. It was mostly Simon coming up with ideas, and Edward agreeing like the brainwashed sheep that he was. That was how Simon wanted it. That was the outcome that Simon desired. 

"Are we all clear?" Simon hummed, taking the two empty teacups in his hands as the two prepared to part ways to retire for the night. 

"Yes." 

With that, not a single goodnight was given as Simon exited the room. Edward stared at his departing figure with no expression before getting up and leaving as well. 


	13. 13

Only a month after his inauguration into the White House, Edward Harrison had unexplainably and seemingly overnight, established a complete dictatorship in the United States of America. Travel to leave the country was prohibited, free speech was constricted, and local governments were left under the complete control of the federal government. 

No one knew how he did it. No one could explain it, and it happened far too quickly for anyone to stop. You just woke up one day and suddenly, everything was different. The government was always watching and recording everything you said and did, so privacy was becoming rather scarce. 

"Are you ready to announce the final rule?" Simon said as he straightened his tie, looking in the mirror before grabbing a comb and fixing his hair. 

"Yes," Edward replied, deadpan while he fixed his clothes as well. Simon leaned back and looked at his remaining family, smiling softly before walking over to the two women and placing a hand on their shoulders. 

"Ollie, Mother, are you ready to go on TV and stand there in silence?" 

Olive hissed and smacked his arm away, stumbling a bit in the blue tube skirt she was made to wear. "Don't touch me, you freak!" 

Caroline sighed softly, hugging herself while looking down at the ground and nodding. "Yes, babydoll. I'm ready. But...are you sure about this?" 

"Well, ask Edward. He's the man in charge," Simon smiled. 

"Eddie," Caroline called softly. "Are you sure about all this?" 

Edward turned to his mother, the same blank and uncaring look filling his eyes. "Yes, Mother. I'm entirely ready for this." 

Caroline gave him an unsure look before nodding, walking over to Olive and placing her hands on her shoulders. 

"Try to relax, Ollie. I know this is tough for you, but..." She started, keeping her gaze lowered. 

Olive scowled, stepping away from her mother. "You're just as fucked in the head as they are for allowing this! Have some common sense and discipline, maybe?! Even Thomas wouldn't allow this, and he was the lowest of the low!" 

"Don't talk to her like that," Simon stepped in between them. "Have some respect for adults, Olive. You're only 19, you know nothing of the adult world yet." 

"Nothing of the adult world? You're only 27, douchebag! You play Roblox for half the day and then fuck off somewhere unknown for the other half!" She cried. 

Simon's eyebrows furrowed and he scowled. "Oh, do you want to find out?" 

"That's enough," Edward snapped, looking back at them. "Now. Let's go, we have a speech to deliver." 

Simon instantly smiled, taking his sister and mother by the wrists and leading them out of the dressing room and onto the stage, where a large crowd and hoard of photographers greeted them with flashing lights and booming questions. Edward quieted the room down with a single wave of his hand. 

"Good morning, everyone," He began his address, keeping the same empty look throughout. "My name is Edward Harrison, your new absolute leader. As you may know, democracy is gone. Totalitarianism has become the new government of America, and some of you have even had a few rights taken away. Congratulations." 

Simon held back a snicker. 

"There are a few final rules I'm enacting. Firstly, there won't be a curfew. Breathe easy on that one. Secondly, I'm taking away the Second Amendment, and I don't care who protests to that because they will probably die." 

Olive's scowl continued to grow. 

"Thirdly, and finally, comes the most major one," Edward sighed. "Across the country, in all 50 states, a few warehouses have been bought and remodeled to hold a large number of prisoners in. This follows into my next law; any student, from the grades of 4th through 12th, with grades lower than a C-, will be killed." 

It felt like the entire world went to a standstill, and Simon's smile never once fell. Olive's arm was grabbed by her mother, who knew Olive only wanted to lunge at her older brother and mutilate him for creating such an absurd law. 

The questions began to pour out, and Edward dismissed them all with another wave. 

"Anyone who protests will be shot. Any student that conspires against the government will be killed in their school as an example. Any adult that tries to hide their child from the government will be imprisoned indefinitely. Any teacher caught faking grades will be killed, as well. That's all." 

Immediately after Edward stopped speaking, the reporters began firing questions at him. Their words mixed with the angered crowd's outcry and Edward simply ignored them all with a soft hum as he turned back to his family. 

"That's it. Let's go." 

One by one, the Harrison family filed back into the dressing room. The last one to enter was Simon, who turned back to look at everyone and all of the lights, before smiling to himself and walking into the dressing room with the others. 


	14. 14

A soft hum escaped Monika's throat as she weaved through her science classroom, carrying a tin of water over to the windowsill plant and pouring water gently into the soil. When the plant was adequately cared for, she moved across the wall doing the same to the rest of the plants. 

"Monika," Her teacher called from the desk while sorting out some papers. "You're all good. You can go." 

"Thank you, have a nice day." 

She gently set the tin where she found it before leaving the classroom, holding her backpack in her hands while she traversed the hallways and finally landed in her destination. 

"Hey, Monika! You're late!" 

Looking around, the English classroom was brightly decorated with tons of pink party decorations and banners. The desks were arranged in groups of four, and about 17 students lingered about in the room, eating sweets and talking to each other. 

"Oh, I am?" Monika mumbled, placing her back down by the front of the room. "Sorry, I was helping Mrs. Beller with the plants..." 

"It's fine, it's fine!" Aaliyah chirped, placing her hands on Monika's shoulders and pushing her along. "Just sit! This is our first club meeting and so many people attended!" 

With the help of a participating teacher, Aaliyah started an after-school club dedicated to tutoring and helping out students that may be lost in their studies, seeing as educated mattered more now than ever. They advertised it heavily throughout the hallways, with posters made on Google Docs promising candy and cupcakes given to anyone who attends the first meeting. 

Monika took a seat at the desk as soon as Aaliyah began talking to the entire club, cheerfully thanking them for attending and telling them that when they weren't being helped or helping others with homework, that they were free to talk and have fun. 

The classroom soon filled with talking once again, and Monika immersed herself in a conversation with Katie and Evan. Aaliyah bounded over to the table and threw her arms around Evan's shoulders with a bright smile, humming softly as she began shaking him back and forth. 

"Hey, Aaliyah!" He whined, allowing himself to be moved. "What's with you? You're more attention-seeking than usual!" 

"There's no one on this planet more attention-seeking than _me!"_

At the call of the unknown voice, Monika turned around to see 3 figures approaching the desks. 1 was a girl, and 2 were guys, only one of whom Monika knew. 

"And who're you?" Katie raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. 

"Me?" The girl grinned arrogantly. "I'm Gabriella Castro, but call me Gabbie. These two here are Bruno and Brandon, my two best friends. Now, we're here to propose a very simple bargain for you lot!" 

Monika raised an eyebrow as well, scoffing softly to herself before nudging Evan. "Let's hear it." 

Gabbie went silent before placing a hand on her chest, like a nobleman in the Victorian Era proposing a bill to the monarchy to raise taxes on the poor. 

"Let us join your friend group!" 

"Come again?" 


	15. 15

Within only a few days, Gabbie, Brandon, and Bruno had assimilated themselves effortlessly into the friend group. They filled the lunch table with obnoxious talking and laughter and forced themselves into plans, much to the irritation of the already socially awkward Monika. Aaliyah didn't seem to mind too much, though she knew that Katie and Monika were heavily against the idea of such outsiders entering the close-knit group. 

"Come on, Aaliyah! This is ridiculous!" Katie whined as she walked through the halls to lunch, holding onto Aaliyah's arm. "They're outsiders! We know nothing about them, why are you so quick to accept them into our group?!" 

Aaliyah sighed softly, maneuvering her and Katie through the hall quickly as she rushed out her answer. "They just seem nice, Katie. It doesn't hurt to give them a chance, right?" 

"It does!" Katie hissed, lowering her voice slightly. "I don't like anyone that isn't you, Evan, Amira, or Monika! You know this!" 

"Katie, please...the worst that happens is we kick them out of the group. Okay? Calm down," Aaliyah advised, side-glancing at her friend. Katie huffed, but ultimately stayed silent. 

When the pair arrived at lunch, the invasive trio had already taken up three spots at the table, and Gabbie was playing with fire by having her hand on Monika's shoulder. Katie held back a snicker, watching Monika try to be polite by holding in her annoyance for the situation. 

"Morning, everyone!" Aaliyah cheerfully smiled as she set her backpack down and sat down next to Evan. 

"Good morning, Ms. Rosemarie!" Bruno flushed red, bowing his head down. Evan scowled and gently grabbed onto Aaliyah's arm. 

"Hey, Aaliyah," Monika spoke up, shrugging Gabbie's hand off of her shoulder. "I'm pretty sure we're having a guest speaker this period." 

"We are?" Amira perked up. "Oh, jeez...must be the principal."

"I bet he's gonna blab about growth mindset or whatever he says," Evan snickered. 

Brandon laughed loudly, harshly patting Evan on the back while he was chewing on food, causing the boy to choke and lurch forward. 

"Hey-!" He snapped, turning to Brandon with a fiery gaze right before being cut off by a microphone tuning in. The group looked up slowly to the stage. 

"Excuse me, please settle down," The principal called, holding his arm up to signal everyone's attention. "Please. We have some guest speakers today, and I would like for you to all pay attention to what they have to say." 

Gabbie, Monika, Bruno, and Katie turned around on the bench to face the stage. Aaliyah noticed Monika crossing her arms with her signature deadpan expression and giggled.

"Monika," She whispered, leaning over the table slightly. "Lighten up a bit, hm?" 

Monika perked up and looked back at Aaliyah, offering a rare smile before turning around again as the stage emptied. 

A moment went by before footsteps sounded on the wooden floor of the stage, and two men emerged. The cafeteria halted into a deafening silence, one that no teacher or principal could ever hope to achieve as the students laid their eyes on the men before them. 

His strong hand lowered until he picked up the microphone, tapped it twice, and cleared his throat. 

"Hello, Morris Knolls" He said into the microphone, voice empty. "If you don't know me, wake up." 

From the back of the cafeteria, someone booed loudly before being whacked over the head with a lunch box. 

"Silence," He demanded. "If you don't know me, here's a little introduction; hi. I'm Edward Harrison, or your supreme leader. Here with me is my little brother, Simon." 

Simon gave the crowd a small wave before folding his hands behind his back once more. 

"As you may know, we're doing school visits around the country. So, without further ado..." 

Edward's icy eyes peered down at the student body, gazing over each individual before halting on the center. 

"Let's begin the discussion." 


	16. 16

Whenever Edward spoke, he was met with blank stares and total silence from the student body. No one responded to him when he asked if anyone had questions or concerns for him after his monotonous speech was over with, and it wasn't until Simon came into the spotlight that things started to roll. 

When Edward took a step back, the air noticeably became less tense and students began raising their hands to say something. When Simon picked on them, they spoke their mind and he answered to the best of his ability. Whenever Edward tried to speak, he was met with silence once more. They were understandably afraid of him. Edward was the face of the operation that was inevitably going to kill a number of students in that very room, so they feared Simon less than Edward. 

Slowly from the back of the room, a hand raised. Simon stood up straight and pointed at him with a charming smile. "You, sir!" 

"First of all," The boy stood up, scowling. "My name isn't 'sir'. It's Jaiden, so get it right, you off-brand Giorno Giovanna!"

"Jaiden!" His friend hissed. "Sit down!" 

Simon, on the other hand, covered his mouth in order to stifle a laugh; a genuine laugh, at that. The boy standing didn't back down, clenching his fists as he scowled and glared at Simon. 

"Are you and your master gonna kill us all? Huh?" He demanded. "What if I beat the shit out of you? You've got no stand to defend yourself, pussy." 

Simon grinned and crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at Jaiden. "Oh, yeah?" 

"I'm not afraid of a motherfucker named _Simon,"_ Jaiden sneered. 

Simon reached into his pocket and hummed softly before his hand latched onto the grip of his pistol and pulled it out, aiming it lazily at Jaiden's head. "How about now?" 

"Hey!" Katie barked, standing up hastily and diverting Simon's attention from Jaiden to her. "Bitch! Put the gun away, it has no place in a discussion!" 

Simon took a glance back at Edward, who was staring at him with no expression before sighing and pocketing the pistol once again. "Fine, fine. I suppose you're right, I'm sorry." 

"Yeah, you better be," Katie mumbled, crossing her arms. 

Simon chuckled again, standing up straight and sending glances to Katie and Jaiden. "You two have made this day a lot more interesting. The other schools in your district were dead silent when compared to you lot." 

"Oh, yeah?" Gabbie cried out, grabbing Monika and Bruno's wrists before yanking them up. "Well, I think I can make this day even more interesting than them!" 

Brandon stood up quickly and ran to Gabbie's side as she walked down the aisle and stopped right in front of the stage. Monika, not liking her touch, scowled and tried to rip her arm away to no avail. 

"Hey, let me go-!" 

"Shut up, Monika," Gabbie snapped before smiling kindly at Simon. "Move out of the way. I want to see the Harrison that matters." 

Simon's grin fell almost immediately, but he didn't fight what Gabbie wanted and moved out of the way, setting the microphone down before beckoning Edward forward. 

"Hm?" Edward hummed, kneeling down. "What do you want, girl?" 

Gabbie gasped, love pooling into her eyes as her face flushed and knees buckled. "Mr. Harrison! I've wanted to meet you for so long, you have no idea! I was willing to do absolutely anything to see you this close in person!" 

Without warning, Gabbie let go of Monika and Bruno and jumped up, wrapping her arms firmly around Edward's neck. It took him a moment, but he shoved her off and stood up above the group of 4. 

"Not an answer. What do you want?" 

Gabbie composed herself, grabbing Monika's wrist again so she couldn't get away and smiling. "Sir, my name is Gabbie Castro. These are my friends, Monika Bianchi, Brandon Castillo, and Bruno Bucciarelli. I would die for you. My friends and I would die for you!" 

"Don't drag me into this-!" Monika hissed before being silenced by a glare from Gabbie. Bruno and Brandon stood in silence, as if Gabbie had told them about this beforehand. Why were they not protesting? What the fuck was going on?

"Really, now?" Edward hummed, reaching into his pocket. "You would die for me, but would you kill for me?" 

"In a heartbeat!" Gabbie cried, smiling a deranged smile that only a lovesick fool could wear. 

In an instant, a pistol was thrust into Gabbie's free hand, already cocked and loaded. 

"Then shoot one of your friends," Edward demanded, gaze harsh and unrelenting. 

Gabbie's eyes widened in shock as she stared down at the gun, a shaky breath escaping her throat. 

"Huh...?" 


	17. 17

"You heard me," Edward deadpanned, staring at Gabbie with no remorse present in his icy eyes. "Shoot one of your friends." 

Gabbie stood in the center of the front of the cafeteria, eyes wide as her body trembled with fear before she raised the gun and aimed it directly at Monika's forehead. 

"Okay, fine." 

Katie gasped and shot up, fully prepared to attack before a harsh glare from Monika caused her to freeze in her place. When Katie was taken care of, Monika's dull green eyes came into contact with Gabbie's deranged brown ones. 

"We aren't friends, what's the point in killing me?" Monika stated, crossing her arms. "You proclaimed our friendship on your own, I didn't agree to it." 

"Yeah, well," Gabbie gulped, stepping back a bit as she kept her gaze on the girl in front of her. "I care about Brandon and Bruno a lot more then I would ever care for some nobody like you." 

"Don't call me that," Monika demanded, completely unphased. Gabbie scowled, lowering the gun slightly only to raise it again, this time with her finger on the trigger. 

"Shut up, bitch!" She hissed, eyebrows furrowing. 

"Shoot me into silence." 

As a standstill ensued, Simon peered down at the two girls with a curious gaze before sighing and hopping down, removing his own pistol from his pocket and aiming it at Gabbie's temple. 

"If you shoot her, I'll shoot you," He threatened, a smile playing on his face. "You're breaking the rules, clearly. The point of this is to prove your loyalty to my brother by killing someone you love, not some loser you picked up in the halls." 

Monika sent Simon a glare, but said nothing out of fear. Edward stood on the stage in silence, still watching and waiting for Gabbie to make her move. Finally, she did, her hands moving until the muzzle of the gun was aimed directly at Bruno's forehead. 

"Wait, Gabbie!" Bruno gasped, falling onto his knees in front of her. "I'm your best friend! I'd do anything for you!" 

"Then die for me," Gabbie whispered, pulling the trigger with little hesitation. Within only seconds, the bullet pierced Bruno's skull and sent him flying to the ground, the wound already spilling fresh blood and coating the tiles in the substance. 

Gabbie gasped, looking at her hands before backing away with a smile and tears in her eyes. "I did it...Mr. Harrison, I killed him! For you!" 

"Cool," Edward hummed, hopping off of the stage as well. "Simon, gun away." 

"Ugh, fine," Simon groaned, putting his gun back into his pocket. 

Edward walked right up to Brandon, who's eyes were wide with horror as he stared at Bruno's dead body. He never noticed Edward walking over to him, nor did he notice Edward grabbing the gun from Gabbie and shoving it into his hands until he felt the warm metallic item break his trance. 

"Huh...?" He whimpered, looking up at the man. 

"Shoot her," He demanded, pointing at Gabbie. "It's funny, so do it." 

Gabbie's eyes widened, any trace of love draining from her features as she stared up at the two men before crying out. 

"Wait, no! Brandon, don't you dare!" She scowled, hugging herself and backing away. "I don't want to die!" 

From the back, Jaiden piped up loudly. "And I bet Bruno didn't either, you fucking bitch! Go fuck yourself!" 

Gabbie turned to Monika in an act of desperation, disregarding Simon who stood behind her as she pleaded with the girl for another chance. 

"Monika?" 

Monika looked at her blankly before turning to Brandon and shrugging. "Kill her, dude." 

One by one, the voices in the cafeteria grew louder as a haunting chorus of demanding pressure swept into Brandon's ears. They were chanting in perfect unison, some banging on the table and others stomping their feet. Some clapped, some cheered, some screamed. 

"Kill her!" 

Repeatedly, the two words played and filled the cafeteria until Brandon could no longer take the immense pressure crushing him. Without a second to spare, he cocked the pistol and shot Gabbie, albeit with some pretty bad aim. 

The bullet raced through her throat instead of her head, where he had intended to hit. The effect was all the same, however, as it sent her into the ground with a thud and allowed her own pool of blood to form under her and the table she landed next to. 

Monika turned her head, watching Gabbie with no expression or remorse in her eyes as Gabbie wreathed and reached out for help, to no avail. Everyone avoided touching her and her blood as if she in herself was a disease, and Monika would beg to agree that she was. 

"Okay, now..." Edward hummed, taking his pistol back and shoving the muzzle into Brandon's temple. "Your turn. Bye-bye." 

"What?" 

The trigger was pulled without a moment to spare, and Brandon went tumbling down before joining his long-gone friends on the ground, painting the floor in red while Edward glared down at him and put his gun away. 

Simon faked a shocked expression, covering his mouth to try and blend in with the surprised student body before letting out a loud laugh and leaning on the stage. 

"Wonderful performance, Edward!" He clapped, giving his brother an insincere smile. "Now, what do you say we get this show on the road? Hm?" 

Before Edward could respond, a thump sounding as someone hit the floor hard. Simon perked up, and so did Edward as the brothers laid their eyes on Monika's passed out form on the floor. 

"Oh, how sad. Did she die?" Edward droned. 

"Lord have mercy!" Aaliyah cried, rushing over to her fallen friend. "Moni, are you awake? Hey!" 

As she gathered Monika in her arms and hugged her friend close to her chest, Monika remained asleep. The only saving grace that Aaliyah knew off the bat was that her body was not cold, which was a good sign. 

"She's only fainted, I think," Simon hummed, stepping over to the two girls and kneeling down before pressing two fingers to Monika's neck. "Her pulse is there. Relax." 

Aaliyah gasped and stumbled back, pulling Monika with her while Simon tilted his head and stood up. 

"I was only trying to help. Is that the proper way to thank someone?" 

_"Get away from us,"_ Aaliyah demanded, voice trembling. Simon chuckled softly and sent a look to the rest of the group, analyzing their faces before sighing and walking over to Edward. 

"Alright. Let's go." 

Edward nodded in silence, not looking back at the silenced student body once as he left. Simon, in the meanwhile, sent one last glance to Monika and Aaliyah before pushing the door open and heading out himself. 

The lunch room instantly descended into chaos. 


	18. 18

"Who does that asshole think he is?!" 

Evan jolted at his spot on Monika's laptop, turning to Aaliyah with a horrified gaze before holding his finger up to his lips. "Hey, shut up! You know they're always listening, right?!" 

"So what?" Aaliyah scoffed, crossing her arms. "My darling Monika is bedridden because they scared her into fainting! So rude, so mean!" 

"Not to mention, three kids are dead because of him," Katie droned, flipping through a comic book she found in Monika's drawer. 

"That's a pretty major thing to gloss over," Amira hummed. 

Aaliyah groaned and let her head fall onto the bed next to where Monika laid, snuggling into the soft comforter before hitting the mattress. 

"This sucks...sure, they were annoying, but none of them deserved to die!" 

Evan sighed softly and closed the laptop, spinning the chair around to face Aaliyah. "Hey, listen. Gabbie sorta did it to herself. She just dragged Monika into it, which dragged us into it." 

"Actually," Katie scoffed. "Give me some credit. I said something to the dude, so it's not like it was entirely Gabbie's fault!" 

"You are absolutely awful at comforting people." 

A soft groan came from the bed next to Aaliyah, and the girl instantly sat up. Monika rubbed her eyes as the light in the room hit her and woke her up from her slumber. It took only a moment for her to realize that Aaliyah had latched onto her, squishing their cheeks together. 

"Ah..." Monika blinked, bringing a hand up and petting her friend on the head. "Hey, Aaliyah. Are you...okay?" 

"Ask yourself that," Evan deadpanned, getting up and pushing the chair in. "You good, Moni?" 

"Yeah," She sighed as Aaliyah moved away, allowing Monika to sit up fully and turn to look at her bedroom. "Why...is there a party in here?" 

"You fainted," Amira giggled softly. "So we brought you here. No party." 

Katie shot up quickly and ran to the bed, shoving Evan to the side and scooting close to Monika before wrapping her arms around her waist from behind and whining. 

"You really scared me, you bitch!" She huffed. "Don't go fainting on me, okay? And don't befriend any more weirdos!" 

"I wasn't even their friend-" 

"Monika?" Adam called from behind the door. "And co?" 

Amira hummed softly, heading to the door and letting the older boy come in. He smiled softly as he thanked her and sat down at the foot of his sister's bed. 

"You feeling okay? They had to call me to get you home." 

"Yeah," Monika mumbled as Adam reached over and ran a hand through her hair before messing it up. "I'm fine." 

"Good," He hummed, standing up again. "Come on, now. All of you. I made enough spaghetti to feed a small country!" 

Katie stumbled off the bed and pushed Adam aside as she rushed to the kitchen, eyes wide with hunger. Amira giggled softly and followed the girl downstairs, while Evan waited for Aaliyah and Monika to get up. Monika hugged onto Adam's arm and sighed. 

"Can they stay over after dinner?" 

"Sure, girlie. Not too late, though." 

"Yeah, you got it." 


	19. 19

After a quiet and uneventful dinner, Monika quickly rushed back up to her bedroom with her four friends in tow. One by one, they filed into her bedroom and filled up any empty spot they could; Evan returned to the desk, Katie and Amira held hands while sitting against the wall, and Aaliyah sat with Monika on the bed. 

"That was really good food," Katie huffed, resting her head on Amira's shoulder. Amira smiled softly, reaching over and petting her friend's head. 

"It was a bit bland," Evan yawned. "But maybe that's just because you're white." 

"Thanks," Monika deadpanned. "Tell that to Adam, he'll totally let you over here again." 

Meanwhile, Aaliyah groaned and slumped sideways, letting her head fall onto Monika's thighs with a sigh. Evan jolted up and looked away with a pout. 

"I'm still mad...over what happened earlier," She pouted, crossing her arms. "Over those three dying..." 

Monika gently laid her hand down on Aaliyah's cheek before pinching it and sighing. "I would've been there with them, on the ground, if that blonde dude didn't tell her to not shoot..." 

"Blonde dude?" Evan scoffed. "That's Simon Harrison." 

"Same show." 

"It really isn't," Amira smiled nervously. 

With a soft sigh, Aaliyah lifted her head and looked at her friends with a sad gaze in her eyes, scooting down until she sat with her back against the bed. "We should do something about him. About Edward." 

" Huh?" Monika gasped, looking down at her friend. "Hey, don't talk like that." 

"It's not a joke," Aaliyah frowned. "I hope he comes back to the school and tries to shoot one of us. I'd like to see him get very far." 

"...Turn off your phones," Evan demanded, holding the power button down on his phone and making sure everyone followed suit before doing the same to the laptop. Once everyone's electronics were turned off, he turned to Aaliyah with a determined look. 

"Then let's come up with a plan. In case he ever does come back and attack the students." 

Monika, Katie, and Amira watched the two with narrowed eyes, in complete disbelief that they would be so stupid as to even attempt something as such. Still, Katie raised her hand and looked at Aaliyah. 

"Count me in." 

Oh, lord. This was not happening. Was Monika about to get dragged into another life or death scheme? 

Amira sighed softly and squeezed Katie's hand a little tighter. "Me too." 

_Oh, this was happening._

Expectant eyes turned upon Monika, waiting for her answer on the matter. She took a moment or two to ponder her options; abandon ship or go down with it. 

"...In." 

Going down with her friends seemed like the best choice for her. Regardless of the seemingly only two outcomes, Monika knew she wouldn't be alone. That was all she truly cared about. 

After a lengthy discussion about a go-to plan in the case Edward ever _did_ decide to show his face at High School East ever again, Evan offered to drive the girls home. Only Amira and Aaliyah accepted the offer, however. 

"Katie, how come you don't want a ride?" Amira asked, concern falling upon her expression. 

Katie began digging through Monika's drawers before pulling out an old t-shirt and smiling. "I'm sleeping here tonight." 

Monika's eyes widened. "Since when?" 

After changing into the old t-shirt, Katie crawled into Monika's bed and curled up under the covers with a content smile. "Goodnight, Monika." 

Amira gave Monika a sympathetic smile and turned off the lights before closing the door and leaving the house. Monika looked down at Katie solemnly before sighing and rubbing her head. 

"Goodnight, Katie. See you in the morning." 


	20. 20

After their visit to New Jersey, the Harrison brothers decided to return to Washington, d.c. to rest in their own beds before visiting another school. After the hour drive from the airport to their home, Simon unlocked the large double front doors and let himself in first, closing the door in Edward's face while removing his shoes. 

"Hey," Edward scowled, opening the door shortly after. "That was rude." 

"That's the point." 

Edward said nothing in response, his brain not knowing defiance towards Simon. Instead, he slipped off his shoes and coat before heading up to his bedroom, carrying an empty feeling throughout the home with him. 

Simon walked into the kitchen, greeting his mother who sat at the island with a mug of tea in her hand. 

"Good evening, Simon," Caroline murmured out, glancing at him with a soft gaze before turning her eyes away. "How was the trip? Was that the final one?" 

"I think for now, it is," He hummed, grabbing some Oreos from the pantry and smiling towards his mother. "Edward is in his room. I assume Oli is as well?" 

"Yes, Olive is in her room." 

"Wonderful," He grinned. "Well, I have some news I think you'll come to like." 

"What's that, sweetie?" Caroline hummed. 

"I've found the Bianchi family." 

At his words, Caroline's eyes widened slightly. Her hand slammed onto the counter as a choke arose in her throat. When she calmed down, her shaky gaze turned to her son. 

"What...?" 

"The Bianchi family. I saw Monika during the high school visit today."

"Why were you searching for them in the first place...?" She whimpered. 

"I wasn't!" Simon laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I just happened to stumble into them! One of the kids introduced herself and her group of friends, and said Monika Bianchi's full name. How wonderful Mother! We've found them, in some lackluster shore town in New Jersey!" 

"Rosa hasn't contacted me since she left..." Caroline muttered, rubbing her temples. "Oh, heavens. Well, just leave them alone. I'm sure whatever you did in that cafeteria today scarred her enough." 

With that, Caroline stood up and walked to her son, bringing his forehead down to place a soft kiss on it before letting him go and walking to her room. Simon watched his mother go before chuckling to himself, cleaning up the kitchen where she forgot to do so and sighing. 

"Our fates intertwined yet again, Monika. How funny..." 


	21. 21

April 8th was a gloomy day in Denville, with students running into the cafeteria from the bus to avoid the pounding rain as much as possible. The day dragged on, but it wasn't all bleak and stormy. 

Second period was cut in half by an announcement, calling the students to the gymnasium for the pep rally that would precede spring break. In order from seniors to freshmen, the classes filed into the decorated gymnasium and sat in their designated bleacher section. Unfortunately, Evan could not sit with the girls, but the girls sat together at the top anyways. 

"Hey, Aaliyah, it's really crowded up here," Monika mumbled with furrowed eyebrows. "I don't like this." 

"This was the only free spot!" Aaliyah whined. "Just deal with it for a little while, okay?" 

"Fine," Monika grumbled, crossing her arms with a pout. 

Over the course of a few months, over 100 students had been taken away due to poor grades. A few teachers were shot in the head for faking grades, and that was only in Monika's school. The numbers were much larger across the country, and yet many students acted as if nothing was awry. 

It was easier to push away the impending despair than stress over it. 

Without much of a fuss, the pep rally began with loud cheering and chanting from the four classes. Toilet paper was thrown around in battle cries and cheerleaders rushed the gym floor with intent to do all kinds of crazy moves that no untrained teenager could do. Some kids popped confetti over the stands, and some balloons were thrown in the mix as well. The lively atmosphere was filled with cheers and smiles despite the pouring rain outside. 

The festivities lasted for a long while, with dance routines performed side by side with blaring music and tons of games for the classes to compete against each other in. Towards the end of the event, however, the principal halted all movement and rushed the students on the floor to sit with their classes. 

"Um..." He murmured, speaking into the microphone. "God, this hurts me...but can the following students come down to the floor? Evan Li, Kaitlyn Goodall, Amira Rebson, Aaliyah Rosemarie, and Monika Bianchi." 

At the sudden announcement, Monika's blood ran cold. She froze up for a moment before being nudged by Katie to stand up. On the neighboring side, Evan stepped down from his group of friends and made his way to the center of the gym, where the four girls and the principal were waiting. 

"What's the issue, sir?" Evan stepped forward, gently pushing his friends behind him. The principal looked at him momentarily before sighing sadly.

"Just stand in the middle and face everyone. That's what he told me to make you guys do." 

"Oooookay?" Katie raised an eyebrow, doing as instructed before crossing her arms. "The fuck is this?" 

"Wouldn't you like to know, Kaitlyn?" 

The smooth and deeply haunting voice came from the side closer to the main entrance, causing the teens to turn to face that side as a tall man approached with no expression painting his features. 

"Huh...?" 

When he reached his destination, Edward stood right in front of the group. There was no readable emotion present in his eyes, which only made his haunting aura more menacing. 

"I'd heard enough of your conversation before you all powered off the electronics," Edward hummed, leaning onto his right foot while tapping his chin. "I find it funny that you all think you can do anything against me. What exactly do you have planned? I'd like to see." 

"Ooooh, do we get a prize if we defeat you?" Evan sneered. "How about a boss drop?" 

"Yeah, gimme some XP!" Katie cheered. 

Edward scoffed, the forced laughter sounding a bit more like a cough than a laugh. The only hint of emotion on his face was a smile, also forced.

"Where's your brother?" Evan asked, giving a glance to Amira before looking back at Edward. "Taking a sick day? Or did he get tired of shooting kids?"

"Are you stalling time?"

Of course, the entire ordeal was just too good. A snarky teenager talking down on the man holding absolute power over them was something that _had_ to be recorded, so a few of the kids in the stands started filming on their phones.

"Stalling?" Evan gasped in mocking shock. "No! Not to you, sir!"

Amira and Aaliyah shared glances, slowly inching away from the boys as Evan kept the man distracted. Amira, once out of view from Edward, motioned for Katie and Monika to do the same. 

Evan was nearly eye to eye with Edward, so he took a step forward and slung an arm around the man's shoulder. "You see, sir, I actually admire you! I bad-talked you _on purpose_ so that I'd have a chance to tell you that!"

Edward wasn't buying it, but he let the teen smooth talk. He wasn't paying attention anyway, as he genuinely couldn't care less for whatever Evan was saying.

"So!" Evan called him out of his little daze with a sudden exclamation. "Whaddya say you drop this whole 'shit-talking' thing against us and we won't break any more rules?"

Edward, registering the words he spoke, pushed the boy away at once. Evan stumbled back but kept his balance, standing up straight and smiling.

"I'll take that as a no?"

"You're right," Edward scowled and drew his gun from his pocket, aiming it to the boy's head without cocking it. "And has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?"

"I, for one, love his voice!" Aaliyah huffed. "And so does his mother!" 

"No one asked," Edward deadpanned. 

Despite the fear racing in her heart, Monika took a slight step forward with empty eyes and glared up at Edward. She said nothing, forcing eye contact before clenching her fist. A scowl stretched across her face, and in one move, weakly punched him in the jaw. Of course, he had no reaction. 

"Was that meant to hurt me?" 

"No, it was a distraction." 

Just as he looked up, a backpack flew out of Evan's hands and contacted directly into Edward's back. He let out a grunt, eyes widening while stumbling forward, giving Monika the chance to grab the backpack and whack him over the head with it. A brief cry rushed past his lips while falling, hands hitting the floor. One by one, the group of five stood over him, with Evan sitting on his back to prevent him from getting up. 

"So, I think you'd say I got you cornered, huh?" Evan grinned. "Hey, Mr. Harrison. How's the weather down there?" 


	22. 22

Cornered? _Cornered?_ Simon had assured him that there would never be resistance, so why was there one happening? Why was he pinned down by a bunch of students? Simon was never wrong. This wasn't...

"Get off of me," Edward demanded, a scowl forming rather quickly. "Off. Now!" 

"No, I don't think I will," Evan smiled, leaning back slightly. "Say, Mr. Harrison. How much clout do you think I'll get for snapping a photo while my fat, voluptuous ass keeps you on the ground?" 

"What...?" Edward mumbled, trying to make sense of whatever the teenager was saying while Evan began to laugh hysterically. Katie stifled a snicker, walking forward and pressing the heel of her boot into Edward's hand. 

"Hey, fuckface," She sneered. "How's it feel being the shortie for once?" 

Edward responded with a scowl, glaring up at her while masking the pain she was putting him in. Meanwhile, Aaliyah took a step forward and leaned down. 

"You walked right into a trap," She smiled condescendingly. 

A trap...insinuating that Simon was wrong. 

Simon? Wrong?

That couldn't be. Simon was never wrong. It was _impossible_ for that to happen, right?

His eyes widened slightly, and his lips began to tremble. He stared up at Aaliyah's taunting smile, into her hopeful and sparkling eyes, and got angry. Why was she so happy? Was she proud that she made a mockery of the Harrison brothers? Was she proud that she committed a crime? Repulsive...it was simply repulsive! 

With a final snap in the strings, Edward shoved Evan off of him while standing up, one hand tangling in his black locks while the other went into his pocket to retrieve the pistol. 

"You are not above the law," He scowled, eyes wide with hysteria. "You are all going to die here, and no amount of resistance will change such a fate." 

He raised the pistol to Aaliyah's forehead, eyebrows furrowing. Aaliyah took a step back, eyes widening slightly as she stared into the barrel of the gun. 

"Back up," A voice came from behind him. "If you know what's good for you, back away from her. Now." 

Edward froze up, craning his neck to see who stood behind him. His eyes met with the empty and boring shades of green that Monika wore. She held one of his pistols, the one he had dropped on the floor, in her hands. Not an inch of her body trembled, her veins filled with protection over Aaliyah as she glared up at him. 

"Excuse me?" Edward scoffed, turning his body slightly to face her. "Who do you think you are to threaten me? It doesn't matter who goes first, you're all going to die." 

"Mhm. I'm sure of that. Just back the fuck up. If you shoot her, I will shoot you." 

The air around the center of the gymnasium was tense. Amira and Katie stood together, watching the idle scene with anxiety filling their blood. Evan watched from the ground, eyebrows furrowing while he kept his eyes on Aaliyah. 

While Monika had Edward distracted, Aaliyah fell to her knees next to Evan and wrapped her arms around him. He returned the hug and buried his face in her hair, sighing softly. "I was worried about you..." 

"I'm okay, Ev," She giggled softly. "Let's finish this, okay? We can get McDonald's after." 

He nodded and looked up at the two in a battle of glares. Monika had not moved one inch, still intent on keeping Edward in his spot with a pistol in her hand. Edward, though he hadn't gone anywhere, had shifted his arm so it laid relaxed at his side. 

"It's funny how you think that you scare me," Edward hummed, keeping his gaze connected with hers. "I know what you won't do, and that's shoot me." 

"I won't? And why not?" Monika scoffed, raising an eyebrow. 

"You're too afraid to." 

Despite his words, there was no fear present in her eyes. She didn't seem the least bit worried, and even cocked the pistol to prove it to him. 

"Brave girl," He hummed, nodding his head. "But not fast. Too bad, so sad." 

Not even a second after he taunted Monika, Edward aimed the pistol directly at Evan's forehead and fired. The sound of the gunshot echoed in the walls loudly, and some covered their ears and closed their eyes in order to shield themselves from the horror that awaited the center of the gym. 

When the bullet connected with his head, Evan fell back and let go of his hold on Aaliyah, who continued to hold on despite the fear that she may die as well. When his back collided with the floor, a pool of blood began to form around his hair. 

Silence followed the action, and with wide eyes, Aaliyah lifted her face from Evan's chest and looked at his face. 

"Evan...?" 

Tears filled her eyes, and she didn't look up once to meet the horrified gazes of her friends. Katie stared wide-eyed and with angrily furrowed eyebrows, Amira was frozen in shock, and Monika's gaze had not once shifted, though the burning anger was clear from the hatred growing in her eyes. 

But Edward did not turn back to her. Edward did not make any condescending remarks, and he did not go on a rampage and kill the rest of the group. 

He...dropped to his knees. 

"Where am I...?" Came his trembling voice, muffled by his hands as he processed the shock from what he witnessed himself doing. "What's going on? Why is there...I...what?!" 

"...Huh?" Monika muttered, lowering the gun before stepping closer to the older man. "Excuse me? Are you playing dumb?" 

"Who the hell are you?!" Edward cried, turning around and staring at Monika with terror in his eyes. "I don't know what's going on, I just got here!" 

"What?!" She scowled, eyebrows furrowing as she smacked him across the face. "You know damn well where you are!" 

"I'm honest when I say I don't!" He cried. "Please, just tell me what's going on!" 

"Monika..." Amira whimpered, holding onto Katie's hand tighter. "I think...he's being serious." 

"What?" Monika hissed, turning to face her. "The fuck do you mean?" 

"Just tell him what he wants to know!" 

A groan escaped her lips as Monika kneeled to his level and looked him in the eye. "My name is Monika Bianchi, and you're at Toms River High School East. You came to the school to kill me and my friends." 

"Why in the world would I want to do that?!" Edward cried, holding his head. "I'm so confused...all I remember last is being in some warehouse with Edward after killing a little girl...I..." 

"...And what year was that in?" She raised an eyebrow. 

"I think it was...2023," He nodded, slowly calming down right before Katie butt in angrily. 

"It's 2025, dipshit." 

"...Huh?!" He cried, eyes widening once again as he snapped his head towards Katie. "What do you mean?!" 

"You ran for president and won in 2024. After your inauguration, you took over the country as a dictator. You kill students for failing a class," Amira mumbled just loud enough so that he could hear it. 

"...Dictator? Killing students?" Edward whispered, hands slowly and shakily moving to grip onto his hair. "No...I'm not a monster, I...I tried so hard to be better!" 

None of the girls said anything. Aaliyah hadn't moved from her position on top of Evan, though now her sobs were mixing in with Edward's while the rest of the school simply listened. 

"I'm not...I failed to be better," He whispered, choking on another sob while tears fell into his palms. "No...I..." 

Suddenly, he turned to Monika, on his knees with desperation in his eyes. By now, many of the students were filming the surreal altercation, and no one made any moves to stop them. 

"Monika, right?" He murmured, forcing a smile through his grief-filled despair. "I need you to do me a favor." 

"...?" Monika tilted her head and hummed

"Kill me." 


	23. 23

The silence in the gymnasium deafened Monika, with the only coherent sound being Aaliyah's soul-shattering sobs. Monika tuned those out, focusing her attention entirely on Edward and his request. 

"What...?" She whispered, taking a hesitant step back. Edward stood up and began walking towards Monika as the smaller girl backed up, eyebrows furrowing with frustration. Before she could get too far, he reached out and took both of her hands in his. 

Eyes brimming with tears, he gazed down at her with that smile; the smile that made the situation all the more heartwrenching. 

"Kill me," He repeated, voice just barely above a whisper. "Please." 

"You would rather die than make a difference in the havoc you've wreaked?" Monika asked, not showing any signs of anger anymore; rather, sympathy. "Why? Why would you want this?" 

"Just do it!" He cried, stumbling forward and tripping over his own shoe. Eyes wide, he tumbled down to the floor, just barely managing to let go of Monika so he didn't bring her down with him. When he hit the floor, it took him a moment to recover from the slight shock before he got on one knee and looked down. 

"Edward, I don't want to kill you," Monika murmured. "Despite my threat earlier, I'm too much of a wimp to pull the trigger." 

"Just please do it," Edward laughed bitterly, covering his face. "I can't take it, Monika! This is torture!" 

"Why should I give you the easy way out, hm?" Monika scowled, taking another step back. "You killed Evan. You killed so many children. Why should you get out of this easily and peacefully, knowing you committed such acts of carnage?" 

"Because if you don't kill me, Simon will!" Edward cried, looking up at Monika for her to see the tears that had started flowing down his cheeks once again. "I would rather die at your hands than his, especially remembering what he's capable of! I doubt he would let me off easily, knowing I'm not the same puppet on a string that he wanted!" 

"And how about if Simon goes after me for killing his brother, huh?" She challenged, beginning to tremble. "Huh? Why should I have to die because you can't keep your own fucking head on your shoulders?!" 

Now, with rage building up in her blood, she raised the gun once more to Edward's forehead. Fire soared to life in her usually empty green eyes, teeth clenching as a storm began to rage inside of her mind. 

"Monika, hold on!" Katie cried, attempting to rush forward before being yanked back by Amira. 

"Katie!" Amira hissed, lowering her voice. "Don't rush in! She's angry and has a gun, who knows what she'll do!" 

"I know damn well what I'm gonna do," Monika mumbled, not turning back to her friends - keeping her eyes on the target was the best way to determine they didn't get away, though she knew that Edward would make no attempts to run. "I'm gonna give this annoying asshole what he wants." 

"But you said it yourself; Simon could go after you!" Katie cried in a vain attempt to reason with the now far too gone Monika. 

"Then I'll fucking shoot him, too!" 

As his tears came to a slow and steady halt, Edward looked up at Monika before standing up and smiling softly down at her. 

"Thank you, Monika." 

"You're a really pathetic excuse of a man, you know that?" Monika sneered, allowing her rage to build. "What kind of older brother is scared of his little brother? It's laughable. Tell that piece of shit Dio Brando wannabe that I'll shoot him dead, too!" 

Edward said nothing. Instead, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, simply waiting for his demise to shoot through his skull. 

"I hope you Harrison's all rot in hell." 

With her final words to him said, Monika put no thought into her actions and pulled the trigger. Edward fell backwards before hitting the ground, blood pooling around his head and staining his black hair in crimson, though it had little effect on the coloration. 

The sound of a gunshot brought Monika out of her anger induced hysteria, and all she could see in front of her was a gun and another dead body. Aaliyah's cries had quieted down, and no one in the entire gymnasium made a single sound for a good five seconds before all hell broke loose. 

Students began storming the doors, simply wanting to go home after witnessing something so traumatic and violent. Monika, Aaliyah, Katie, and Amira stood silent in the middle of the room, not making any moves to leave. While Amira and Katie stared at the retreating student body, Aaliyah had not moved in a long while; and now that seemed to be the case with Monika, as well. 

In the end, Aaliyah had to be ripped away from Evan by her sobbing parents, and Monika got a ride home from Amira's mother. On the ride home, Monika had not spoken a single word, and Katie believed she hadn't even blinked since the gunshot went off. Luckily, they had managed to get the shell-shocked teenager to drop the pistol before dragging her out. 

"Monika, dear, this is your house, right?" 

"...Yeah," Monika mumbled, not bothering to look up as she got out of the car. "Thank you, ma'am." 

After closing the car door and listening to the sound of the tires rushing away, Monika stood in the pouring rain outside of her home for what felt like an eternity, the memory of watching Edward going flying back replaying over and over in her head before a crash of thunder snapped her out of it. 

With a heavy sigh, she made her way to the front door and unlocked it, heading inside the dark and gloomy home without saying a word. 


	24. 24

The bed was warm, and the outside world was cold and unforgiving. That was Monika's mentality, and it got her desiring to keep laying down if not for the annoying marimba playing right next to her bed.

With a groan, she reached over and didn't bother checking who was calling, answering and pressing the phone to her ear. "Hello?" 

"Hey, Monika!" Evan hissed into her ear, irritation clear in his tone. "I'm outside your house! Did you oversleep?!" 

"It's Saturday..." She groaned, slapping a hand over her eyes as she rolled onto her back. "Why do you want me awake so early?" 

"Because it's Saturday?" He scoffed. "We're going to Freehold today!" 

"Why?" 

"Because we want to. Get your lazy ass up." 

With a groan, Monika rose out of bed and grumbled at the cold air hitting her body, hanging up the phone before heading into her closet and getting dressed. Afterward, she brushed her hair and freshened up before brushing her teeth and running into Adam's room. 

"I'm taking your wallet." 

"Limit is 50." 

After grabbing Adam's entire wallet, Monika slipped on some sneakers and ran out, hopping into the passenger seat of Evan's car and buckling up. 

"Morning," She huffed, glaring at him. "Where are the others?" 

"We're going to get them, relax," He chuckled, turning up the volume of the radio. "How'd you sleep?" 

"Had a really weird dream," She mumbled, looking over at him. "That Harrison killed you, and I killed Harrison." 

"...That's it?" He scoffed. "Come on. I'm not letting some random dictator kill me. You know that." 

"Well," She sighed, looking out the window. "He came to the school to kill us all, and then we revolted and you died and then he died." 

"...Seems unrealistic," Evan yawned, watching the road. "You got weird dreams, Moni."

"...I guess..." 

After driving in silence for a little longer, the car turned into another suburban neighborhood and drove for a little while longer before stopping in front of another colonial styled house and honking the horn. After a few minutes, Aaliyah ran out while waving goodbye to her parents and hopped in the back seat, leaning into the front seat and placing a kiss on the cheek of both Evan and Monika. 

"Morning!" She chirped, smiling wide. "Who are we getting, next?" 

"Katie, she's the closest," Evan hummed, pulling out the driveway before driving out of the neighborhood. "Then Amira. I'm shocked they're not together, right?" 

"Right," Monika added in a deadpan cheer. 

"Well, Katie has to go home sometimes," Aaliyah whined. "Sadly..." 

"Agreed." 

After pulling into a townhouse neighborhood, it took a bit of squinting and groaning before Evan finally found his way and honked for Katie to get outside. She was out in only a moment, closing her door quickly and running down the steps. Her small form leaped into the car and tumbled into Aaliyah's side, giggling all the while before strapping in. 

"Drive! Drive!" She demanded, becoming antsy to see Amira. Evan laughed softly, pulling out and driving out of the neighborhood. His fingers tapped on the steering wheel while driving, eyes on the road while Aaliyah and Katie began talking quietly. 

After a while, they pulled into another suburban neighborhood and stopped at a small ranch. Amira didn't need to hear a honk before she ran out, waving goodbye to her parents before walking calmly to the car and hopping in. 

"Good morning, everyone," She spoke softly, leaning onto Katie almost immediately while their hands intertwined. "Are we ready to go?" 

"Yeah," Monika answered for Evan, reaching over and turning the stereo to the loudest volume while banging her head to the music, which was not of the rock or metal genre. 

"Monika, lower it!" Katie cried, reaching forward before her hand was swatted away by Monika. 

"Music stays on!" 

"No!" 


	25. 25

"Simon, that's enough!" 

Thomas stood up with a scowl, slamming his hands onto the dining hall table and glaring down at the young boy. The table fell into a hush, with no one but Simon bothering to look up at Thomas or try and calm him down. 

"I simply asked if you would treat our sister any differently than you've treated me," Simon, only 8 years old at the time, spoke bluntly. "Mother is pregnant, and I simply want to know how you'll be towards my sister." 

"Simon, why do you care?" Edward asked, voice empty of any care as he ate his food. "Father is right. You're being irrational." 

"I don't think so," Simon retorted, standing up as well. "I think it's entirely rational to worry about the wellbeing of my little sister, mental and physical." 

"Well, we both turned out fine," Edward seethed, clutching his tableware a bit tightly and pointing them upwards at the ceiling, the fine crystalline chandelier sitting idly above the commotion it's light shone upon. "So drop it, and keep eating." 

"I don't like ham." 

Thomas took a deep breath, taking a moment to compose himself before walking over to Simon. The young boy did not move away; instead, he stood there, knowing he wouldn't be able to escape whatever fate his father would inflict on him. 

Rough hands grabbed onto Simon's fine locks of blonde hair, and he cried out softly while his father dragged him away from the dinner table. The staff of the house knew better than to react, looking straight ahead in order to prevent themselves from invoking Thomas's wrath. 

Simon's little body was dragged up the stairwell, tiny hands reaching up with the intent to get his father's hands off of his scalp. His fingernails dug into the skin, causing Thomas's scowl to deepen. After they reached the large door that hid Simon's bedroom, Thomas let go. 

"Your disobedience makes me wonder if you're truly a Harrison boy or simply a fraud brought onto this house," He stated, standing tall. "Look up at me, with those eyes I gifted to you at birth. Look up at me and apologize." 

"No."

This blatant act of disobedience caused Thomas's anger to swell; it was easy to make him rage. Raising his hand, he sent a strong slap across Simon's face and sent the boy stumbling back, holding onto his cheek with both hands. 

"If you leave your room at all tonight, I will make sure you feel pain for the rest of the week." 

"...Yes, Father." 

Very weakly, Simon stumbled into his bedroom and closed the door behind him. No one in the house ever stood up for him; not even Christopher. He knew Christopher didn't want to lose his job, but it still stung when he thought of that fact. 

He flicked on the light and slowly walked over to the bed, still holding onto his cheek while breathing a labored breath in and letting it out. He hopped onto the bed and fell back, eyes looking up at the ceiling. 

Obey. Why did he have to obey? Would his father feel threatened if he went out of line? Would the business be in shambles if Simon said something he wasn't supposed to? It just made no sense. 

One thing was for certain, however. Unlike many times when his father hit him, Simon didn't feel anger. He didn't feel sad, angry, or contempt. No, this time, he just felt...

Nothing. 

A feeling of complete emptiness raced through his veins, shadowing any other emotion he had ever felt up until that moment and left him abandoned in a cell. 

Now, he could stop running. There was no use fighting it. 

Despair would find a way to overtake the young man one way or another. 


	26. 26

Gently setting a plate of bacon down on the long wooden table, a Harrison family maid bowed politely before leaving the dining hall. 16-year-old Simon Harrison reached over the table to grab a few pieces, carelessly shoving them into his mouth without bothering to be clean about it. His mother gently reached over and wiped some grease from his cheek with a napkin. 

"Simon," Thomas scowled. "Please have some manners." 

"Yes, Father," He responded bleakly before blatantly ignoring the orders given to him. 

"You are doing the opposite of what he told you," Edward smiled nervously. "Si, come on..." 

"With no due respect," Simon snapped his head towards his older brother. "Shut up." 

Edward, rather quickly, went silent and simply continued eating his breakfast. An 8-year-old Olive reached over him with wide and curious eyes, reaching for the watch on his wrist. Edward smiled fondly and let her see it, while Simon watched the two with blank eyes. 

Looking up for a brief moment, Olive made eye contact with Simon and began climbing over Edward in order to get to him. Unmoving, Simon simply watched as Olive climbed into his lap and began silently messing with his tie. 

"Olive," Thomas grumbled, standing up and walking behind Simon to grab his daughter. "Stop ruining his uniform." 

Olive stared at her father only for a moment before becoming angry and smacking him across the face. "Fuck off, geezer!" 

Simon could not help himself. Something about the man he despised being slapped in the face by a child and cursed at was the funniest thing to ever happen in his life, and he reacted as such. 

"Olive Arietta Harrison!" Caroline cried, gasping as she shot up to take the child. "Where did you learn such language?!" 

Olive, ever the innocent toddler, pointed at Simon with no remorse. "SiSi taught it to me." 

This ceased his laughter almost immediately. Slowly looking up, Simon's expressionless eyes met Thomas's angry ones. 

"Caroline," Thomas hummed. "Call the school and tell them Simon will be out for the day." 

"Yes dear," Caroline murmured, knowing exactly what was going to happen to her son. 

Simon sighed softly and stood up, looking back at Olive and narrowing his eyes at her before Thomas grabbed his hair and dragged him away.

Three hours. 

Three hours went by before Thomas finally left Simon's room and gave him a break. Another three hours went by before someone came to check on him, the someone being his little sister. 

"SiSi?" She whispered softly, peeking her head into the door. "Did Geezer hurt you again?" 

"Get out, Olive," Simon spoke blankly, staring with wide eyes at the floor as he sat on his bed. "Get out of my room." 

Olive went silent for a moment before stepping in the room and shutting the large door behind her, padding over to the bed and hopping on. 

"SiSi?" She asked again, tugging on his shirt. "Why does Geezer hurt you?" 

Simon did not make eye contact with her. Tears of pain were falling down his cheeks, though he didn't actually care for what had just happened to him. Instead, he continued to stare at the ground blankly. 

"Because bad children like you go and make him angry." 

"Like me...?" She whimpered. "I didn't do anything, SiSi." 

He stood up, placing his hand on the opposite wall before turning back to her with a haunting glare; one that any toddler would shy away from. 

"You got me into this mess, Olive. Get out of my room. Now." 

"But I just wanted to - " 

"Get out!" He shouted, grabbing her blonde hair in a fit of rage and dragging her to his bedroom door. Olive cried out in pain and fear, latching onto his hand tightly with her own while pleading with him to let her go. He did not listen; instead, he threw open the door and shoved her out of the room before closing and locking the door. 

Olive rubbed her head, whimpering and sniffling softly while staring at the closed door. Then, finally, she ran away. 


	27. 27

Spring Break was one of the few times a year that schoolchildren got to relax and have fun; this year, it was needed more than ever due to the entire situation with the dictatorship and student death thing. 

Over the break, Aaliyah and her family had gone down to Texas to visit some family and relax in a warmer setting. Evan went down to Florida to use up his family's timeshare in Tampa, and Katie was forced on a camping trip in Virginia. All in all, Monika only had Amira and her brother to hang out with, but unfortunately for her, Amira was spending time with her family for the break and wanted to focus on that. 

That was how she got stuck in the front seat of Adam's car, going to work with him just to have some means of entertainment. She never got along with her mother, so Adam just decided to bring her along to meet his coworkers, with his boss's consent of course. 

"This is where you work?" Monika asked, looking up at the office building. "It seems...boring. Why do you work in a boring place? Go to the mall or something." 

"This one pays more," Adam smiled patiently as he used his keycard to unlock the door and enter. "Come on, now. I'll steal the wifi password from the receptionist if you hurry." 

Groaning softly, Monika dragged her feet into the building and followed Adam into the elevator, pressing every button in pure spite and leaning against the wall. Adam, with the patience of a saint, just smiled. 

"I bet you'll love Isabelle; she sleeps on the job all the time. Joey is a bit of a nutcase who steals my soda all the time and refuses to compensate..." 

As her brother rambled, Monika lost herself in thought that consisted of complete dread and internally groaned to herself as she listened to him cheerfully state that they had arrived at the floor. 

This was going to be a long day. 

-

It had already proven itself to be a dreadfully long day as Monika listened to John and Jakob bicker over the correct way to show respect at a chess tournament. When she moved spots for some peace and quiet, she got to listen to Zac laughing loudly at Joey's obnoxious antics and Julianna laughing at something on her computer. The only ones she could possibly bear to be around were Enzo and Michael, who everyone in the office referred to by full name for some odd reason. 

"You like video games?" Enzo smiled nervously, poking through her laptop after she gave consent to it. "I do, too. Do you have a Switch?" 

Monika quietly shook her head no. 

"Oh...well, I would get one sometime. I think they're great for playing video games, especially the ones you seem to like. You can even get them close by; New York has a Nintendo store!" 

Making a mental note, Monika quietly thanked Enzo and stood up, grabbing her laptop and walking over to her brother. 

"Hey, can we drive to New York later?" She asked softly. "I wanna get a Switch." 

Adam froze slightly at the almost demanding tone of his little sister asking for a Switch. Then, he turned to her with raised eyebrows and barely a scoff; moreso a gasp of pure astonishment. 

"Come again?" 


	28. 28

For months, he simply sat by in silence. His existence was nothing more than a puppet for his brother to play with; heart bound by string and rope and keeping him in place as a loyal servant. His mind was a constant state of emptiness, unfilled by the joy he had tried so hard to get. 

Was this karma for how he treated Simon? Doomed to live the rest of his life in an empty space where he couldn't even control his own limbs? He didn't want that. Edward wanted to live his own life. He was tired of living as a puppet every day; only existing for entertainment purposes. 

What sort of cruel entertainment was this? This string needed to be cut, or else he would never be in control of himself again. This had gone too far, and he wanted to stop it so badly. So...badly. That was all Edward asked. 

If there was a merciful God in the sky, his wish would be granted. Allow him to cut the string keeping him attached to Simon's control, and maybe...

He could fix what he had unwillingly destroyed. 

Right. That was the key, right? Desire. If it was his desire to stop feeling that got him in this mess, his desire to fix his mess could get him out! That had to be it, right? 

Well, that seemed to be the case when Edward woke up one morning, feeling... _something_. It was weird; he didn't wake up and immediately think of asking Simon what he should do. He felt the need to get up and make himself breakfast. He felt the need to go out on a walk in the city. He felt the desire to go talk to his mother. 

That hadn't happened in what felt like a lifetime. To Edward, this was an entirely new feeling and every step felt like he was walking on air. 

"Edward-" Olive turned to him as he entered the kitchen in the morning. "Hi." 

That blank greeting and angered stare had never once come from her before. At least, for a while, they had a good relationship. Better than Simon and her's, at least. 

"Morning, Ollie!" The man chirped, bringing up a hand in a wave and smiling. At this, Olive grimaced and stared at him like he was a demon. 

"...Um...?" She mumbled, tilting her head. "Are you coming down with a fever or something?" 

A fever? Edward tilted his head, black middle-parted hair swaying to the side as his large puppy-like eyes fixated on his sister. "Um...no? Why do you ask? And where are we?" 

"Where _are we?"_ Olive asked, nearly choking on her morning tea. "Are you dumb? We're at home, idiot." 

"This isn't home," He raised an eyebrow. "I feel like I'm missing something. Let me go ask mom." 

"No-!" Olive cried, rushing forward and grabbing his wrist. "What the hell has gotten into you?!" 

Footsteps around the corner could be heard, and soon Simon and Caroline joined the two in the kitchen. Simon was still half asleep, whining and rubbing his eyes while Caroline seemed she had been awake for hours. 

"What's going on, sweetie?" Caroline asked, looking at Olive's bewildered glare and grip on her brother's arm. 

"Mom?" Olive asked with a nervous chuckle. "I think Edward's gone crazy." 


	29. 29

No, no, no, _no!_ This was too early; how in the _fuck_ did Edward wake up so quickly? Sure, it had been a few years since he took control of his brother, but a few years was very quick considering he had planned for another few years. 

Either that, or he planned for Edward to die. Neither had happened, and neither could happen because now Edward was awake and being filled into what had happened by Olive at the kitchen table. 

"I...really did all that?" Edward asked, a solemn look crossing his eyes. "I don't remember any of it...are you sure? It's really 2025?" 

Caroline nodded, standing behind him as she rubbed his shoulders. "Mhm. You did...all of that. You're known as a vicious murderous dictator in the world's eyes. 

"But why...?" He whispered, staring at his lap. 

Olive frowned softly, sending a glance at Simon. "We don't know why. You were just...different after the old man died."

Simon had his eyes fixated on Edward the entire time, and Edward could feel his glare. He refused to look up at him, though. 

"I know why," Simon cleared his throat, standing up. "Because at heart, you're a cruel psychopath. You just don't want to be in the spotlight, hm? So you're playing dumb. I see through your tricks, Edward." 

Olive turned to face Simon entirely as the man began walking out of the kitchen. Her eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion, but before she could say anything, Edward shot up and rushed after him. 

"Simon, wait-!" He cried, speedwalking through the halls. This entire building was like a maze and he had no idea where he was actually going. If not for Simon's lead, he would be completely lost. 

After a few moments, he turned into a room and stood in the center of it while Edward followed him and closed the door behind him. 

"Simon-" Edward stuttered softly, a sense of dread filling his stomach. "What's wrong? Why did you say that...?" 

Silence followed his question as Simon stared out the large window right before turning on his heel and staring Edward in the eye. 

"You really fell for the bait, huh?" He smiled to himself. "Edward, you're just as stupid as you look. Are you _really_ wondering why _I_ , the brother you _abused_ for 16 years, would say such a thing?" 

...Oh. 

"Simon, I..." Edward mumbled, clenching his fists as he stared at him. "I apologized for that. I apologized so many times..." 

"And you think an apology would get you off the hook?" He sneered, taking a step closer to Edward. "Do you wanna know why you did everything you did? Let me spell it out for you. You are a _puppet_ and I am the _puppeteer_." 

A puppet on a string. His worth had been completely diminished to a puppet on a string. 

"You...?" 

Simon stepped back, pupils dilating as a wide smile formed across his face. With the sun shining bright behind him, he glowed like an angel fallen from grace as he spread his arms out wide. 

" _I_ am the mastermind behind all of this!" Simon laughed loudly. "And you're just the mascot! But since you're awake, and I'm not ready to give up my fun just yet, I think I'll be the mastermind and mascot now!" 

His words took a moment or two to register in Edward's mind. Everything that Olive and his mother told him he did was actually the work of Simon? So...Simon was controlling him? 

That explains why he didn't remember anything from the past two years or so. Simon had used him in order to create a sick, dystopian fantasy. 

"Why...?!" He cried, stepping forward. "Why did you do all of this?!" 

Simon's arms fell. This felt so similar to their conversation in the warehouse a few years back, but this one, Simon knew, would have a different outcome. 

"I think it's an easy answer," He said, still grinning wildly. "You treated me terribly during our youth. This is just revenge, and it's not even all I could do. Did you know it is _scarily_ simple to manipulate someone who is grieving? Who would've thought!" 

That explained why his last clear memories were of his father dying. Simon took advantage of it. 

"..." Edward gasped softly, taking a step back. "You're sick in the head!" 

"Okay?" He shrugged. "And?" 

This wouldn't be like last time. Simon wouldn't win - he'd make sure of it! 

So Edward grabbed the door handle and swung the door open, first taking a few calm steps out the door before breaking into a mad dash. 

Where could he even go? He wanted nothing to do with this operation anymore, but he had no shelter to take refuge in. Who would harbor a dictator, former or otherwise? His fear of Simon taking control of him again was much stronger than his fear of being on the streets. 

So Edward didn't look back. Sure, his mother would be worried sick trying to find him, but it's not like the media won't cover his location anyways. 

Edward Harrison did not mind being on the run. Edward Harrison did not mind being known as a puppet or a cruel dictator anymore. 

What he did mind was continuing to allow his brother to control him. A coward's move; run from danger instead of towards it. 

But he didn't care. 

Reality would have to find him some other day. 


	30. 30

News stations roared to life with the news; Edward Harrison was on the run and Simon took over as dictator of the United States of America. No one knew where Edward had gone, which was surprising. Who wouldn't recognize the face of their oppressor? But this was fine. This is fine. Simon could always handle a country on his own. 

Right? 

Well, he seemed as composed as ever as he adjusted his tie for a television conference, looking into the mirror and humming with a soft grin on his face. Olive watched him get ready, narrowing her eyes at his upbeat demeanor before approaching him and grabbing his shoulder. 

"Did you kill Edward?" She asked, glaring up at him. 

Simon blinked and turned down to her, blanking before chuckling softly and shoving her off of him. "Why do you ask?" 

"Because he suddenly disappeared after talking to you?" 

"I'm not getting my hands dirty to kill him when he can easily do it himself," He hummed, looking at himself once again. "It's just beyond me, you know? I don't care for his life. He just ran away and there's nothing I can tell you except that." 

Olive's stare hardened. "You don't even care that your own brother ran away?" 

"Who was the abused one? You or me?" 

Olive shut up rather quickly, crossing her arms and turning to their mother. "Mom, do you hear him?" 

Caroline turned to the girl, smiling sadly but remaining silent. Her silence was common; how could she stand up to her darling sons? The answer was that she couldn't. 

"Enough talking," Simon hummed, finally prepping his inverted suit and turning to the two women. "Let's go." 

Simon started by walking out onto the stage, followed by his mother and sister who took the two spots next to him. He stood tall and proud in front of the shining stage lights and flashing cameras and smiled to the reporters and crowd alike. 

His charm was clear and blinding; the gorgeous smile, handsomely tailored suit, well-combed hair, and absolutely dashing blue eyes played into the media's already haunting obsession with the man. When he spoke, it was like all of their hearts stopped beating at once. 

"Well, isn't this a surprise?" He spoke, voice smooth and low. "Hello, everyone. Hello America. Hello, international community. If you don't know me, you're about to find out." 

The crowd silenced immediately. He radiated commanding energy from the getgo, his calm persona able to sedate anyone into submission. 

"My name is Simon Harrison. I'm the younger brother of the former dictator, Edward. Unfortunately, Edward decided he no longer wanted to be in the spotlight and ran away. To where? I have no idea. But, as the second in line, I've decided to take over for him." 

Maybe Simon was less cruel than Edward, the populous hoped. Maybe he would fix what was destroyed. Maybe he would be kind and caring and return them to a democracy. That's what was going to happen, right? 

"Sadly for you all," He sighed before grinning wide. "The current rules will stay in place. I don't even have any additional rules to add. I think what Edward did was absolutely perfect. A shame he had to run away..." 

The man looked down and chuckled softly, but that quickly faded into a sigh. Simon was sad; not over Edward running but the fact that he didn't get to kill the man himself. How cruel! 

It didn't matter. Someday, he'd find his brother and make him suffer the pain he did all over again. It didn't matter how long it took. Just the thought of watching Edward writhe and cry in pain made him smile uncontrollably. Still, he was being filmed. His smile fell and he looked back up at the cameras. 

"That's all I wanted to say. From this day forward, your new dictator is a man named Simon Harrison. Remember the name well." 

With that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room. His family was quick to follow him. 

Once finally alone, Simon sat on a velvet chair and sighed deeply, undoing his tie with one hand and letting the other rest against the armrest. "So exhausting..." 

"You said three things," Olive deadpanned. 

"Shut up, Olive." 

When silence finally came to him, his mind began to rush again. Thoughts of the various ways he could torture Edward popped up over and over again, and his smile returned again. Stabbing, poisoning, shooting, suffocating, freezing, overheating, removing limbs, removing organs...

"Pfft-" He giggled, covering his mouth. 

"What's so funny?" Olive sneered, turning back to him with a glare. "No one said anything." 

He ignored her words entirely, grabbing at his face and smiling with widened eyes as his mind continued to race. Fingernail removal, teeth removal, eye removal, crushing, stretching, beating...

Simon began to laugh. It was not a sweet sound; rather, the insanity and poison dripping from the cheers filled the room with a gloomy and haunting aura. Both Olive and Caroline turned to stare at the man, who ran his hands through his hair and began yanking at the locks desperately. His laughter continued to get louder and louder, pupils dilated to the point of a pin. 

"Simon-?" Caroline said softly, approaching the boy and putting a hand on his shoulder. He immediately scowled and grabbed her wrist, laughter ceasing as he looked up at her with a sharp glare. 

"Do you think the worst has passed?" He asked, icy voice sending shivers down her spine. "Because, Mother, let me tell you something. _The worst has yet to come."_


	31. 31

How far had he come? How long had he been on the run? A week now, at least. It wasn't like he was short on money, so hotels were never an issue. Still, most places were not willing to harbor the former dictator. After all he had done, he did not blame them for a second. 

It was just...getting frustrating sleeping on benches. As a rich boy, he always had the best mattresses to sleep on, and being reduced to a bench so quickly was quite the adjustment he had to make. In so little time, too! 

He had somehow moved up the coast, jumping from bus to bus and sleeping at bus terminals in wait for the next one. Before he knew it, he was in some sleepy town in New Jersey that he couldn't be bothered to learn the name of. 

His car had broken down a week ago, so Adam Bianchi was stuck taking the bus. He hated it, but it wasn't the worst thing in the world. While getting off the bus one night, he noticed a man sleeping on a bench at the bus terminal and frowned slightly; homeless people weren't very common in this area, and there was a homeless shelter nearby. Was he just waiting for another bus? But this was the last one on the route.

"Um-" He mumbled, approaching the man and shaking his shoulder. "Sir?" 

The man on the bench stirred slightly. Slightly awake, he rolled his head to face Adam and mumbled a soft 'what?' 

"This is the last stop of the bus route," He said, frowning. "Get up, sir. There's a homeless shelter nearby." 

"Not homeless-" He grumbled, gently pushing Adam away and sitting up. "I'm not homeless, sir. Just on the run-" 

That voice was familiar. Strikingly familiar. So familiar that Adam tuned him out to try and put two and two together, thinking back on where he could possibly recognize such a voice from. 

"Ah- Mr. Harrison...?" 

Oh, shit! Edward's eyes widened as he was discovered rather quickly. Scooting backward, he looked away sheepishly and scoffed. 

"Wha-? No, me? Never. I'm not Edward. I'm just some homeless dude sleeping on a bench-" 

"I never mentioned which Harrison," Adam deadpanned, standing up. Sure, it was kinda scary being in front of the former dictator, but this was also...

Someone he had known, once upon a time. 

"Remember me?" He asked, leaning a bit closer. "Adam. Bianchi. Does that last name ring a bell?" 

"Bianchi...?" Edward mumbled, thinking to himself. "Yes, it does. Old family friends of ours. Why do you say that?" 

He just said- Adam facepalmed, groaning softly. "I'm Adam Bianchi, dude. Get up. You're not sleeping out here," He said sternly, standing up straight. 

"Huh?" Edward looked up at him. "Why?" 

As much as he wanted to, Adam just could not see Edward in a negative light. He had known him when he was a child, and Edward wasn't...that bad when they were younger. To him, at least. He felt bad for the man, in all honesty. He was out in the cold, at night, all alone. Adam was not very smart, but he knew that rich boys were not used to such conditions! 

So it wouldn't hurt to give the brutal former dictator of America a place to stay for a few nights. 

"Let's go," He stated again, beckoning Edward to follow him. Edward, as shocked as he was, followed like a puppy. "You can stay with my family for a few days. I'm sure they won't mind." 

That was not the least bit reassuring. Sure they won't? That isn't a definite yes, and Edward internally groaned. 

But it's okay. 

"Thank you, Adam," He said, voice soft as he walked along. "I appreciate it." 

Adam glanced back at him, pushing up his glasses and simply nodding in acknowledgment. 

The walk back home was silent after that. 


	32. 32

Why was the former dictator of America sitting on Monika's couch in the morning, eating a bowl of cereal? Why was this happening? Was she still dreaming? It definitely seemed surreal enough to be a dream. Yes, this had to be fake. 

"Oh- good morning!" The man on the couch cheered as he noticed Monika in the hallway. She jolted in her spot, freezing up before slowly turning to face him. 

"You're not real. I'm going to go to the doctors and get diagnosed with schizophrenia if you don't leave my head," She said, all too deadpan. 

Edward blinked, not registering her words for a split second before panic set in. "Wait- you don't have to do that!" 

She jumped and hissed in fear, glaring at him. "Get out of my head!" 

"I'm real!" Edward cried, setting down the bowl and rushing over to her. "You can pinch me to prove it!" 

Instead of pinching him, Monika slapped him across the face and then stumbled back. This man was _real_. She was standing in front of _Edward fucking Harrison_.

"...What the fuck..." She murmured, staring at her reddening hand. Edward pouted from the slap but figured he deserved it and leaned against the wall. 

"Does that prove it to you? You're not schizophrenic," He sighed, scratching the back of his neck. 

"..." She said nothing, narrowing her eyes before spinning on her heel and marching back upstairs, screaming her brother's name. Edward watched her go, in a bit of shock before he sighed and returned to the couch. There was a moment of peace before the two siblings returned. 

"Explain this to me," Monika demanded, pointing to Edward. "Explain why the child killer is in our house." 

Adam looked down at Monika, sighing tiredly. It was too early for this, and boy did he not care enough about her anger with the situation to give a legit response. 

With a groan, the tired man leaned against the wall and pushed up his glasses, looking to Edward. "He was on a bench at the bus stop and I felt bad." 

"Why did you feel bad for him he _murders children-"_

Adam's frown deepened at her words. They were true, sure, but Adam had known Edward his entire life. Monika wouldn't understand it; she was only a baby when they moved away. 

"Because- I just do, okay? Can I explain this later? When I wake up fully?" He grumbled, staggering tiredly over to the kitchen to get coffee. 

"Fine," Monika huffed, following him. "Then I'm going to Aaliyah's. Call me when you want me home." 

The teen didn't bother getting dressed. She threw on a pair of shoes in the main hallway and slipped out the door and into the morning sun. Adam watched her go before groaning as soon as the door closed. 

"Edward," He mumbled, setting the coffee mug under the dispenser. "Do you remember me?" 

"Adam?" He hummed. "Yes, I do. Does your sister not remember me, though...?" 

"Go easy on her," He sighed, leaning against the counter. "She was young when we moved. Her only memories of you are negative. I'll explain everything, just-" 

"Don't," Edward intervened. "I don't want it to confuse her more. I don't mind if she sees me negatively; I brought it on myself, I think..." 

"You _think?"_ Adam raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" 

Edward looked up at Adam and smiled solemnly, standing up to put the bowl away. "Simon...you remember him? Simon told me some thing that's confused me since. I'll tell you about it later, okay?" 

He nodded, pushing his glasses up once again and turning back to the coffee. "Alright." 

"Oh, Adam?" Edward hummed, washing out the dish. "Thank you for letting me stay here." 

Adam turned to him and stared at him quietly before nodding again. 

"No problem, dude. Anything for an old friend." 


	33. 33

"Let's see...this is the phone number, right? Seems so..." 

Sitting alone in a dark room, looking out the window to the front lawn, Simon Harrison held a cell phone to his ear while waiting for an answer from the other line. No expression played in his eyes, although irritation did start to form when there wasn't an answer right away. Once he heard the 'hello?' from the other person, he sighed and smiled. 

"Hello, this is Verizon, right? My name is Simon Harrison; your supreme leader. Shocking call, right? Anyways, I want to ask something from you, and if you don't give me the information I want, I think you might want to say goodbye to that daughter of yours. Now...for what I want. A phone number." 

He waited for her response, and then grinned wider. "Oh, of who? A fellow named Adam Bianchi. I have a few words with him." 

-

Work was dreadfully long, but Adam was just glad to have his car back in commission. With a loud sigh, the man unlocked the doors and hopped in, locking them immediately once inside and leaning back in his seat, beginning to check his phone. 

Upon opening the messages app, he noticed a message from an unregistered contact, with the simple message of "Hello." 

"...Hm?" Adam mumbled, raising an eyebrow. "That's weird. I haven't given my number to anyone in a while..." 

He tapped on the message, shooting back a response instantly. 

"Who is this?" 

He got a reply rather quickly. 

"Simon Harrison." 

"Bullshit. Seriously, tell me who it is or I'm blocking this number." 

"Block me all you want; I'm Simon Harrison." 

"Send proof, shitlips." 

He got a photoresponse back; it was a selfie, depicting Simon Harrison throwing up a peace sign, winking, and sticking his tongue out. Adam narrowed his eyes at the photo, not finding any part of it funny. With a frown, he clicked on the number and chose the facetime option. 

"Oh, so you chose to call me? How sexy of you~!" Simon chirped, still in a persona of...cute? Whatever he was trying to pull, it wasn't working on Adam. 

"How did you get my number and what do you want? We aren't acquainted, nor do I hold any sort've feeling other than malice towards you." 

Simon immediately pouted, leaning his head on his closed fist and sighing. "That's no way to greet an old family friend. I'm, quite frankly, sad!" 

"Did not ask," Adam grumbled. "What do you want?" 

"Weeeell," Simon hummed right before switching off his persona and staring at Adam with harsh intent. "I want you and your family to come visit mine in Washington DC. A reunion, of sorts! But, here's the thing. You don't really have a choice, because I've already booked your flight and hotel!" 

"...Excuse me?" 


	34. 34

"You're lucky I trust you enough to leave you in the care of my house." 

Adam rolled down his suitcase while holding Monika's bag over his shoulder, turning to Edward with an exhausted look on his face. It was midnight, and the Bianchi family had a flight to catch in a few hours. Edward, who was still awake, walked over to him and took the bag from him, smiling calmly. 

"I'll take care of it, okay? I think I'm very handy for a rich man!" He joked, laughing softly. Adam did not laugh. 

"I know you will," He yawned, calling out to his family upstairs. "Are you guys coming?!" 

Two pairs of feet hit the stairs and descended; Monika with earbuds in dressed in her coziest pajamas, and Rosa staring down at the main hallway with blank eyes. Once they got down there, Adam sighed softly and beckoned to the front door. Edward watched them with a calm smile. 

"Have a safe flight!" 

"Yeah, you got it," Adam nodded, leading his family out to the car. With that, they were off to the airport.

-

The Bianchi family slept immediately after landing in Washington, though Monika woke up rather early and quietly slipped out of the room. While exploring the hotel was fun, it was quickly becoming boring seeing nothing but closed doors and do not disturb signs lining the walls. There was clearly nothing to do here, so after finding an elevator, she went up to the highest floor and disembarked there, beginning to explore until she found an outdoor patio. 

When she pushed open the door, the chilly air hit her hard and she almost went back inside if not for curiosity. With a soft hum, Monika walked onto the patio and to the edge, where she stared down at the early morning pedestrians, passing cars, and the rising sun. 

She got bored people watching and turned around, noticing an unopened water bottle in the corner before hatching a plan. Walking over and grabbing it, she opened it and stood at the ledge again, waiting for the perfect moment before dumping out the contents. The water partly landed on a passing jogger, who stopped running to look up at the sky. Monika ducked down, snickering to herself and waiting for a moment before popping back up. The jogger was gone. 

"...I should try soda next." 


	35. 35

The family was running on a few hours of rest as they got dressed for the abrupt meeting in the hotel room. Monika, donning clothes all too casual, looked at her more formally dressed family and snickered.

"Wow, mom. I'm shocked to see you wear anything but pajamas."

Rosa turned to Monika with a blank stare, glaring her daughter down before silently turning away to continue brushing her hair. Adam looked in between the two, raising an eyebrow.

"Is that...it? No fighting or anything?"

"No," The two said at the same time in the same monotone voice. Adam shivered from the haunting unison, checking his pockets for everything he needed. Phone; check. Wallet; check. Room keys; check. When he felt he was secured, he looked at Monika.

"Ready, kiddo?" He asked with a soft smile. Monika turned to him, nodding as she brushed through her hair before joining him at his side. After a moment, their mother did as well.

"Let's go; don't wanna be late," He murmured softly, letting them take the lead so he could close the door behind them. The family descended to the lobby and out the door, being greeted by a fancy looking chauffeur escorted them into a limousine, where Monika settled in to play some mobile game and Adam decided to watch the city roll by. Rosa went on Facebook on her phone, sighing softly to herself as they drove along.

After about half an hour, the car stopped in front of an expensive-looking building. The parking lot was empty aside from one car. The chauffeur stepped out, and Adam moved to open the door handle until the man pulled it open from the outside. He blanked out from shock, not moving until Monika shoved him out and sent him stumbling out. The chauffeur put his arm out to catch Adam, and he blinked in slight shock before clearing his throat and standing up. 

"Thank you, sir." 

The chauffeur nodded silently, helping the rest of the family out of the limousine and gesturing in the direction of the restaurant. Adam grumbled in annoyance, grabbing his mother and Monika's wrists to drag them along. 

When they entered, the restaurant was clearly vacant. There was no hostess or host in sight; there was just one waitress standing in the corner, and three people occupying a six-person table. Adam groaned out loud as he walked over to the table, stopping when a blonde-haired man glanced up. 

"Oh, well look who's arrived," He grinned, standing up. "Welcome, welcome! Please, have a seat." 

"Don't tell me what to do," Adam grumbled, sitting down anyways in the seat across from Simon. Monika sat across from Olive, and Rosa sat in front of Caroline. One thing was for certain; with the way Olive was glaring, Monika knew this was going to be a very tense lunch. 

"Now that we're all here," Simon sighed as he sat down, leaning back and looking at Adam with a smile. "Let's chat, hm?" 

Adam glared at him, pushing up his glasses. "Fine. Let's _chat."_


	36. 36

Monika did not like Simon Harrison. Sure, he was part of the reason the major thorn in her side at school is no longer part of the picture, but that doesn't mean she likes him. Now that she thought about it, she didn't like any of the Harrison fuckers. It was bad enough one of them was living in her house. 

Monika stared into Olive's eyes as she messily bit into a piece of bread, watching as the dry pieces fell into her lap. Monika was not typically a messy eater, but for this special occasion, she wanted to make sure she made the worst impression possible. 

"Monika, eat like a normal person please," Her mother deadpanned. 

"No." 

"Alright."

Adam stared at the two women incredulously. Their interaction was so brief, yet it held so much malice inside of it. In fact, he feared letting them sit next to each other would cause a brawl to start. 

"Monika," He tapped her shoulder. "Switch spots with me, please." 

"Why?" She asked, deadpanning up at him. 

"Because I said so," He smiled, gritting his teeth. 

Monika stared at him for a moment before shrugging and switching spots with him, now face to face with Simon. Adam began chatting Olive up after years of not speaking to one another, and Rosa and Caroline also seemed immersed in their conversation. The only two not speaking were Monika and Simon, who stared at each other with blank expressions. 

Simon leaned forward, his fingers interlaced together in front of his nose and his elbows resting on the table. Behind his hands, Monika could see a hint of a grin, which made her frown deepen. The teenager leaned back in her chair. 

"What, not interested in chatting?" Simon asked, smiling fully now. "I just wanna talk, dear!" 

"Don't call me that," Monika deadpanned, glaring at him. "We aren't friends. Don't act like it." 

"So defensive..." He sighed, feigning sadness. "I wasn't even trying to be your friend. I was simply trying to ease the tension between us." 

"Why don't you just get to the chase on why you flew us out here in the first place?" She grumbled, crossing her arms. "I have better things to do than sit across a murderer." 

Her words made the grin on his face widen, the expression almost sinister and sickening. 

"Speaking of murderers..." He hummed, letting the smile drop when Adam glanced his way. "I suppose I _should_ get to the reason for your visit, yes?" 

"Yes, that would be nice," Adam stated, turning his full attention to Simon. Simon moved his head to look at the family in its entirety before humming and clearing his throat. 

"I have reason to believe you people are harboring my brother in your home. Now, I won't do a house inspection or anything of the sort, but let's just say you'd better hand him over to us." 

"Eh, no," Monika shrugged. "We haven't seen your brother." 

Adam's eyes widened and his eyebrows furrowed, his gaze falling on his little sister. Why was she lying blatantly to the _dictator's_ face? Why was she protecting Edward? 

"And why should I believe you?" Simon hummed, crossing his arms and leaning back. 

"Because I live in my house, and I haven't seen anyone but Adam and that lady around at all. Sorry, dude. You're asking the wrong family. Maybe you got it mixed up." 

Simon looked expectantly at the other two members of the family, causing Adam to blink out of his thoughts and look Simon in the eye. 

"Sorry, she's right. I'm not too keen of bringing strangers into the house, much less a murderer. That's one more mouth to feed." 

Rosa, as she always did, stayed silent. 

"Hmmm...you two don't seem to be lying," Simon said, leaning forward. "So I guess you're not. Whatever," He groaned, shrugging his shoulders. "Guess I really did mess it up. How silly of me..." 

"Point and laugh," Monika deadpanned, pointing at him. No one laughed. 

"Is that all you called us here for?" Adam asked. "Because we did not fly all the way out here for one lunch." 

"Well, that's too bad!" Simon beamed, clapping. "I've already had some staff pick up your luggage from the hotel, so the limousine will drop you off right at the airport!" 

Adam's eyebrow twitched slightly. "Excuse me?" 

-

Adam grumbled angrily as he pulled his luggage out of the car and onto the pavement below, grabbing the handle and pulling it up to drag it inside. 

"Why the long face?" Monika asked, grabbing her luggage as well while their mother followed them.

"That fucker told me to pack a week's worth of clothes!" He groaned. "Do you know how tedious this is gonna be to unpack?!" 

"Huh. Sucks to suck, I guess," She shrugged, walking to the front door with Adam as he unlocked it. When the family stepped in and removed their shoes, at first the house was quiet, until...a black labrador dog trotted up to them with his tail wagging. Adam's eyes panned down slowly, and at first he figured it must have been a dream. 

"...What the fuck?" 

"Oh- you guys are home early!" Came Edward's voice from the kitchen. "I got lonely, so I got some friends!" 

_"...Some?"_ Monika mumbled and walked forward into the foyer. When she saw Edward, her eyes widened and it took her a moment to bounce back from the shock. 

On top of his head was a blue parakeet bird. On his shoulders and arm were three hamsters, and two cats were laying on top of the counter. 

When Adam walked over to see the scene as well, his heart dropped to the floor. 

"What the _fuck?!"_


	37. 37

Simon sat at his desk in the Oval Office, tapping his fingers along the surface slowly and eerily. His face bore no emotion other than complete and utter boredom, a vast nothingness in his eyes. Under the glow of the chandelier, the dictator of the United States of America sat in silence before leaning back in the leather chair and looking at the other occupant of the room, his sister, who also sat in silence typing on her phone. 

"I wonder if the Bianchi family takes me as an idiot," He hummed, breaking the quiet. "I know they have Edward." 

"Then go take him," Olive deadpanned, resigned to her brother's words. If she was being honest with herself, she was only accompanying him because she had nothing better to do; after all, going in public while you're related to Simon and Edward Harrison was practically a death wish unless she rented the place out, which was far from what she wanted to do. 

"No, no," Simon waved his hand dismissively, lifting his leg and resting his ankle on his other knee. "Where's the fun in that?" 

"And where's the fun in asking them directly?" 

Simon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance before flashing a glare over to his younger sister, who only gave him an uninterested side glance in response. The siblings shared a moment of tension before both stubbornly looked away, now in a worse mood than before. 

"There is no fun in asking them directly and getting what I want." 

"See, exactly," Olive sighed and stood up, fixing her jacket and turning back to Simon. "You're really stupid, you know that? Your definition of fun is fucked up. Why even bother asking them about Edward if you knew they had him regardless?" 

"Why does that matter to you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow curiously as he looked up at her, touching his fingertips together. "Just be grateful we got to see them again. You even got to reconcile with Adam again. How adorable." 

Although his words were intended to imply a sweetness, he said it with such sarcasm that the meaning was completely wiped. It didn't stop Olive from lighting up into a dark blush, however. 

"Shut up!" She hissed, shoulders tensing. "You're fucking weird! Stop trying to play some twisted Cupid!" 

"Cupid is already twisted," Simon grinned. "You just don't know the true story." 

"Not in the mood for your weird fucking philosophical bullshit!" She groaned, turning on her heel dramatically and walking out while flipping Simon her middle finger. 

Simon laughed to himself, though he didn't actually feel her actions were funny. He was still empty and completely neutral. Maybe seeing her in an angry state _did_ bring his spirits up a bit, though. 

Simon rose to his feet, placing both hands on the desk and hanging his head with a sigh. His sigh quickly turned into a smile, dark in nature due to the host being a shadow himself. 

"Well, Edward, you've picked the most interesting family to hide with," He spoke to himself, still staring at the fine surface of the desk. "I hope you realize what a flame you've ignited." 

A flame that started out small, though grew with every step Edward took away from the White House. A flame with little signifigance until he ran into Adam Bianchi that fateful night at the bus stop. Simon's smile only widened at the thought of such a flame, eyes crazed with ideas of chaos. 

"I hope you've brought an extinguisher, my _dear older brother."_


	38. 38

"Why the fuck would you buy animals without my permission?!"

Adam was in a full panic, hands tangled in his hair in distress as Monika stared blankly at the scene unfolding. Edward, ever optimistic, only smiled brightly and clasped his hands together.

"Because I got lonely! They were also lonely, so it's a psychosis relationship!"

"Do you mean symbiotic?" Monika chimed in robotically.

"Yes!" Edward beamed. "Thank you- oh, the youth are so smart these days!"

 _"That's not the point!"_ Adam shouted.

Edward tilted his head innocently, staring at Adam with a soft pout before reaching up and taking the bird off of his head, where it had perched. "As long as I take care of them, it's okay, right?"

Adam's eye twitched as he suppressed his anger, clenching his fists and holding back the urge to punch Edward in the jaw. How were the Harrison brothers so angering? Was it a genetic thing? Olive was perfectly fine, though...

"I'm going to kick you out if you don't rehome these animals in the next week," He growled. "Pick one to keep and get rid of the rest or _else-"_

"I want to keep this one," Monika droned, referencing to a small grey cockatiel that was perched on her head and pulling her hair rudely. Adam sighed and shook his head.

"No-"

"I wasn't asking."

Edward laughed lightly and kneeled down, petting one of the cats that rubbed against his leg. "Can we keep more than one? I can't pick just one, they're all so lovely!"

It was getting increasingly harder to not punch this man, for Adam. Maybe it was the optimism in a situation he hated, but he wanted to bodyslam this man into the ground.

"...Fine," He scowled, pushing up his glasses. "Fine; pick three to keep, the rest have to go."

In the end, they ended up choosing the cockatiel, who Monika named Stupid Fuck, a small black cat that Edward named Eddy, and a chocolate lab that Adam named Sir. With their choices picked, Adam decided to bring the animals back to the shelter, leaving Monika alone with Edward.

"..."

In overbearing silence, the two sat staring at each other. Monika's eyes remained blank, and Edward watched her with sparkling eyes. Their energy was opposite to the other, creating a rather tense environment.

"Why did you do what you did?" She finally asked, looking away with a frown. "Dictator and stuff. You act completely different from the last time I saw you. If this is an act to keep Adam from kicking you out, you can drop it. Not like I have any reason to snitch."

Edward laughed a bit nervously, closing his eyes and gently clasping his hands in his lap.

"It isn't an act, Monika. I...believe I was manipulated into it, though I'm not too sure. The last few years are...hazy, to say the least."

"Manipulated?" She raised an eyebrow. "Just say no."

"Simon is an intelligent man," Edward murmured softly, looking down. "He has goals, and he knew he couldn't do it alone at the time. He struck in my most vulnerable moment and used me as a puppet. That's why I ran away..."

"...Nice sob story," Monika shrugged, letting her new bird scramble around on her head. "Is this the start of a protagonist arc where you take down your evil brother to save the world?"

"...Not exactly..."

Edward knew he didn't have what it took. He still loved Simon—still desired to reconcile with him despite knowing deep down how impossible it was. He was too much of a coward.

"I'm not fit for that..."

Monika watched him for a moment, sighing deeply before standing up and going to her kitchen.

"That's kinda pathetic."

Monika was always so blunt. She had no cares in the world, as if she wasn't even able to form them. To Edward, someone as apathetic as her would fit that arc better.

But he wouldn't say that. Not to her. He'd have to push her in the right direction.

"...I know."


End file.
